A New Light
by SkywardShadow
Summary: **SPOILERS** Lina, a loyal Kira-worshiper, finds a Death Note. Her 'friend', Michael, tries to figure out who's the new Kira. Anata is eager to destroy the one some call 'god'. If only it were that simple. Use of OCs. Lots of them. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: Candles

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. L would not have died if I did.

**A/N: So, those of you who completed the manga series Death Note will probably recognize this scene. I hope you enjoy. –SS**

_**A New Light**_

**Prologue-Candles**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

She follows the rest of the procession up along the side of the mountain. She is but one of the crowd, one of the white-cloaked herd mournfully drifting through the night.

Their slim candles boast the only light in the suffocating blackness (save for the crescent moon); hundreds of tiny, bright pinpricks that, from a distance, might only appear to be a large group of very slow, methodical fireflies.

She carries her candle silently, head bowed, as expected. She keeps a miserable expression on her face like all the others.

Eventually the mass reaches the top of the mountain. They mingle wordlessly at first, then part like the Red Sea as she comes forward.

She wears the typical white hooded cloak, and a plain colorless dress. The long hood drapes around her slim form elegantly, almost like a bridal veil. The candle she carries seems to shine more brightly than all of the others' put together.

She almost appears to be a goddess.

She is the one whom all the younger worshipers aspire to be like. The one whom the elders wish more people would take after. She is practically a shoe-in for Head Worshiper once Elder Misaki dies. She knows it.

She moves slowly down the path that has been cleared for her. Moving, moving, ever so slowly…until she comes to the cliff at the mountain's peak.

She places her candle gently on the edge of the cliff. Then, kneeling, she clasps her hands together as if in prayer. Bowing her head once more, she utters reverently-

"Kira, our savior."

She lifts her head, turns her shining eyes to the moon above.

_To be continued_

**-Rule I of the Church of Kira:**

**Kira is the One God. There is no other.-**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N: Hello, it's me. What did you think? The prologue is pretty short; sorry. **

**So Death Note veterans, you recognize this particular scene, no? **

**Reviews are always appreciated; is this story worth continuing? It'll get more exciting (I hope) and much more original (heh) as time goes on. Thanks for reading. –SS**


	2. Chapter 1: Rubik's Cube

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way, shape or form. I don't even own Lina, really…

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to field-of-tears; thank you for reviewing, Alerting and Favoriting. :)**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter I-Rubik's Cube**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**Lina Hikari, 15 years old.**

**Birth Date-September 1****st****, 1997.**

**Oldest child and only girl of Masoi and Yura Hikari.**

**Member of the religious group that call themselves the Church of Kira.**

**Average student; member of Ohnii High's chess club.**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"So, demon-worshiper, how'd it go last night?"

"Did you sacrifice another live rat?"

"Yeah, how did your black magic ritual go?"

"What, you're too good to answer us, demon-girl?"

She pretends not to hear them.

_Ignorant fools,_ she thinks sadly. _They can never understand the joy of what Kira-sama stands for. Never. I must pity them._

That is what she has always been taught. Those who do not believe in Kira will never enter his ideal land. Only the Last Worshipers may live in that land, and only after a lifetime of suffering among the ignorant.

Yes, that is what Lina Hikari has always been taught. But yet, a rebellious part of her mind burns and boils with anger. _How dare they,_ it seems to hiss. _How dare they make assumptions of things they know nothing about._

The rebellious part scores a single point as Lina silently, reluctantly agrees. People, it seemed, were almost all the same. They glanced, they judged, they looked away.

And they never _stopped_ looking away. That was possibly the most frustrating part. They didn't _listen_. They came to their own conclusions and then closed their minds to any other potential realities.

"Answer us, demon-worshiper!"

She doesn't react. She's been putting up with these kinds of things for pretty much her entire life.

She knows what comes next.

Any second now, when they get bored with just taunting her, it'll happen. Like clockwork.

She turns her mind to something else to kill time until it happens.

_The rat rumor,_ she thinks wearily, sipping a spoonful of her mushroom soup. _Will I never know how that got started?_

About eight months ago, a rumor started somehow that the Last Worshipers of the Church of Kira sacrificed live animals-particularly rats-during their prayer sessions (which had come to be known as 'black magic rituals' and such, by the way). Lina had denied it over and over, but the damage had been done. Yet another tally mark on the ever-growing list of misconceptions about the Church of Kira.

Lina pulls lightly on a strand of her pale red hair; a nervous habit. _Wait for it…_

One of the boys who was tormenting her darts forward suddenly, snatches up her half-full bowl of soup, and pours the remaining contents on her head. Mushroom soup drips from her long hair. Her jeans are soaked, and streaks of the liquid run down her black top as well.

She stares straight ahead, silent, unmoving, emotionless.

After a few minutes, as per usual, the bullies get bored watching a girl with all the reaction of a statue. They return to their respective lunch tables.

Lina cleans up what remains of her small meal swiftly, then drifts inconspicuously to her locker. After a few years of similar incidents occurring nearly every day, Lina started coming to school prepared. She never brings hot soup for lunch, and she always has at least two changes of clothes in her locker.

The bell rings just as she finishes redressing and stuffing her wet clothes in the locker. She jogs down the hall and into her math class. She takes her usual seat in the back row, next to her best-and close to her _only_-friend, Michael Karson.

He stares at the blackboard, unblinking, as Lina sits next to him.

Her grey eyes twitch briefly as she notices that he has once again brought a puzzle to class. He's playing with it under the desk.

It's always something with Michael; he's constantly fidgeting with some odd little toy. His favorites seem to be clay and a Rubik's Cube (the latter being today's choice). It drives Lina crazy. She can never tell if he's really concentrating on the class or not.

His dark, black-rimmed eyes glance sideways to Lina, and he nods to greet her.

She nods back and looks down again.

The Rubik's Cube is solved.

_To be continued_

**-Rule II of the Church of Kira:**

**Pity those who do not believe, for they shall never be allowed to enter Kira's perfect Land.**

**Repent for them, so that you may be allowed into the Land in their stead.-**

**A/N: Hmm, Michael Karson seems somewhat familiar, doesn't he…? -SS **


	3. Chapter 2: Question

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I'm not sure if I own Lina or not…but probably not.

**A/N: Thanks again field-of-tears for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 2-Question**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Checkmate."

Karin Asiki groans. "_Again_? I swear, you have _got_ to be cheating!" Her tone is only half-joking, a detail Lina does not miss.

Karin was the resident chess champion of Ohnii High before Lina came along and gradually pushed her off of her throne. But instead of holding a grudge, the former constantly tries to refine her strategy and the challenge the latter to yet another match. _Grudges? Rivalry?_ Lina reflects. _They're the same thing. Pretty words. Disguises for harsher words like jealousy and sin._

Besides that, she actually_ isn't_ the best chess player around. That would be Michael. She's played against him once, and he beat her in five moves. But he doesn't join the chess club. He keeps his talent to himself.

Which Lina sometimes wishes _she_ had. If she had only resisted the temptation to join the chess club, her skill would still be unnoticed. And she wouldn't have to put up with Karin's constant challenges that _always_ delayed her getting home.

But that kind of thinking comes dangerously close to intolerance, which of course must be avoided. Lina's mind wanders back to Michael.

He is, put simply, odd. He is talented at essentially everything-puzzles, games, math, science, art (which seems to be his real passion, if he even has one)-anything you can throw at him.

But his social skills are nonexistent, and he has multiple quirks that often get him into trouble; either with schoolmates (he gets bullied almost as much as Lina) or with teachers.

The way he sits, for example. It's just plain strange. He curls his knees up to his chest, arms wrapped around them. When the teachers scold him for not sitting properly, he just apologizes in his soft voice, staring straight ahead without any trace of emotion. And he still sits exactly the same way.

Even though he never seems to be paying any attention in classes, his grades are perfect. At lunch, he never brings food of his own; he just watches Lina eat. (Which creeps her out to no end, but she keeps her mouth shut.)

And all of that is_ if_ he shows up at all. There are days when Michael is missing from lunch, or even from school entirely. His mother Linda's excuse is that he's sickly, but Lina and others have their doubts.

Lina frowns at herself, shaking her head. _I must not judge others,_ she reminds herself dutifully. _That is his business, not mine._

She stands, bows to Karin with an utterance of "Thank you for the game, Asiki-kun", and leaves the club room.

On the way out of school, Lina is tripped twice, finds a load of shaved-off animal fur spilling out of her locker (….really, she doesn't even want to know), and is unceremoniously shoved out of the door, causing her to trip and drop everything she's carrying.

This happens every day. It shouldn't even bother her anymore….

Cruel laughter echoes loudly in her ears as she hurries home, tears biting at her eyes.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Her father is still at work. A note left on the kitchen table states that her mother is out running errands, and that her eleven-year-old brother, Shika, is at a friend's house. Lina is alone.

She sighs and collapses on the sofa. Almost instantly, the phone rings.

_No rest for the weary_, she can't help but think as she gets up again to retrieve the irritatingly loud device.

"Hello, Lina-san." Michael's clear voice greets her. She half-smiles. _Not entirely alone._ "Kon'nichiwa, Michael-kun. What is it?"

"….Must there be a reason? Am I not allowed to simply call you?" is the mildly perplexed-sounding reply. Lina raises an eyebrow slightly. "Well if there's no reason for you to call, then why would you bother?" "….Maybe I was just bored…" "Thanks a lot," she deadpans. Michael is about the only one on earth who can tempt her into using sarcasm.

His laugh-a quick, muffled snicker-jolts through the phone. Recovering, he continues. "So, Lina-san…Would you like to come over? I have something I would like to ask you."

Curious and confused by the abrupt invitation, Lina agrees.

_To be continued_

**-Rule III of the Church of Kira:**

**It is not out responsibility to judge others. That is**

**Kira's honored duty, and Kira's humble subjects may not take it upon themselves to decide who is **

**Worthy.-**

**A/N: Hn. Not much happened in this chapter, did it? I apologize…Hopefully you can put up with me until the next chapter comes out.**

**Things will get somewhat more interesting then….**

**-SS**


	4. Chapter 3: Recessive

**A/N: Thanks to azaneti for Favoriting. Also thanks to Emery Board for reviewing and Alerting. :)**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 3-Recessive**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

She arrives ten minutes later, at a small gray house with windows painted over black. Lina remembers asking about the windows once; Michael had said something about his mother "not being used to direct sunlight." She's not exactly sure what that means, but it isn't her place to pry.

Lina knocks softly; Linda opens the door. "Hello, Lina-chan," she says, her smile at odds with her always solemn tone.

Lina bows and enters, inconspicuously examining the woman out of the corner of her eye. Linda Karson is sort of pretty, in a different way. Her blonde hair is roughly chopped shoulder-length; it looks like she herself cut it. She wears baggy, dull-colored clothes splattered with dull-colored paint (_Is she an artist?_ Lina often wonders), and she has her son's eyes-black, somewhat dead-looking, and underlined by deep, thick black bags.

Lina catches herself staring and mentally slaps herself. What right has she to examine and evaluate people? _I'm no better than the tormentors at school,_ she thinks dismally.

Deeply ashamed, she silently resolves to pray very, very hard tonight.

Michael bounds down the stairs like a young elephant, landing on the dusty floor with a loud _**Thump**_. "C'mon, Lina-san," he says calmly, like having her in his home is a regular occurrence. She nods and follows him up to his room.

Aforementioned room is quite possibly the messiest, most cluttered place in Japan.

Puzzles, mind games, wires, three computers, various electronics (and pieces of them) and art supplies are scattered everywhere. The floor is a disaster area, and the bed…well, Lina would rather not even _look_ at the bed. Her own room is pristine; Michael's is like another galaxy.

He carelessly clears a small spot on the floor, so that they can sit down without getting some sharp little something embedded in their skin. Michael runs his fingers back through his hair, making an even bigger mess of the red-brown mop, which for some reason triggers a memory.

When Lina was littler, she asked why he had red-brown hair when his mother was blonde and his father had black hair in all the pictures (Michael's father is gone and never spoken of. A mystery).

"Recessive genes," he had answered in a far-off voice. "From my Uncle Mail, most likely."

Lina is shaken out of her recollection by a pair of black, tired eyes gazing at her intently. "So, Lina-san," Michael begins. "The reason I invited you."

The gaze grows sharp.

"Have you ever heard," he murmurs, "of something called a Death Note?"

_To be continued_

**-Rule IV of the Church of Kira:**

**Unfortunately, we do not have the power to open everyone's eyes, to make them see Light and learn to follow the sacred Laws of Kira.**

**Therefore, we must work hard to be the most perfect people we can be, to make up for those who do not Believe.-**

**A/N: ….I am ashamed of myself. Nothing really happened in this chapter either. **

**I apologize. –bows- But this question sets up an interesting 4****th**** chapter, hn? -SS**


	5. Chapter 4: Explain

Disclaimer: If I owned Death Note, a lot of people would have lived. I own Michael.

**A/N: Thanks to Moonshine369, Starlight Luster and angelcorrupted. :)**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 4-Explain**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Lina blinks, unsure how to answer the odd and unexpected question.

"Death…Note…?" she repeats slowly, hoping that the words will make more sense when she says them aloud.

They do not. They just sound even stranger.

"Yes," Michael replies calmly. "Death Note." He runs his fingers back through his hair again.

"I-I haven't ever heard of such a thing," she says uncertainly. "What is it, exactly?"

"Just what it sounds like, Lina-san. A notebook of death. A notebook with the power to kill."

She's shocked. "Wh-what?!" she chokes out. "Where is this coming from? What are you talking about, Michael-kun?!"

He sighs, as if this is precisely what he thought was going to happen. What he hoped wouldn't happen. He's disappointed in her, wants her to understand.

But then again, maybe he doesn't. Some tiny teardrop of relief falls within him.

"Never mind. Don't worry about it, Lina-san. I'm very sorry for agitating you."

She brushes it off. "It's fine, no problem. I was just caught off-guard, I suppose…If you don't mind my asking, where on earth did you get that..term..?" Is 'Death Note' a term? She's not quite sure what word to use.

"Oh. It's nothing, really. Just a story my Uncle Mail told me once…Nothing you need worry about, Lina-san."

Lina mirrors his earlier sigh. Who comes up with that kind of story? "Your uncle sounds like a very…interesting person, Michael-kun."

He grins. It borders on creepy, as he's usually so emotionless.

"Sorry if this sounds rude, but…you have no idea, Lina-san."

_You have no idea._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Lina plays a few games of chess with him before leaving. She's not sure why she even bothers; the outcome is inevitable. She is beaten in less than ten moves, and that's in all the games combined.

Linda and Michael see her to the door. "Thanks for coming, Lina-san," Michael says. Then the mother and son chorus, "Come again soon" in a voice void entirely of any emotion.

She can't help but shiver, just a little bit.

She walks home, unable to stop herself from thinking about the 'story' Michael told her. Death Note? A notebook with the power to kill people? What kind of story was _that_?

She is starting to get curious about Michael's Uncle Mail, too. He sounds like an.._eccentric_ person, at best. _After all, what type of man comes up with such a dark and ridiculous story?_ And his name… "Mail." How on _earth_ does that qualify as a _name_?

……_I'm judging people again. _

_I'm a terrible person. _

_Oh, Kira-sama, please forgive me…._

She can't explain what happens next.

Very few _could_.

She's just walking along, drifting in her own unhappy thoughts, when she trips over something. After picking herself up, she turns to glance at the offending object.

Like multiple humans before her, she sees a thin black notebook. She walks over, somewhat surprised that she didn't see it before,

and picks it up.

White kanji on the cover read "Death Note."

Lina Hikari looks up again and screams.

_To be continued_

**-Rule V of the Church of Kira:**

**It is not for us to question**

**Kira's powers, methods or motives.**

**We are here to serve Kira, not to question**

**Him.-**

**A/N: Jeez, I apologize for the lack of updating. This story is proving hard to write.**

**Ah, well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter thoroughly. -SS**


	6. Chapter 5: Questionable Reality

Disclaimer: I own Michael. That's about it.

**A/N: Thanks again to Moonshine 369. :) **

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 5: Questionable Reality**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"_AIIIIIIII!_!!"

"_EEEEEE_!!!"

Even as Lina curls up in a ball on the ground, squeezes her terrified eyes shut and covers her head, she wonders why this-person? thing?-is also screaming.

Slowly, she lifts her head to peek. And that sets off another round of loud shrieks from the both of them.

Scared stiff and shaking, Lina clasps her hands and does the only thing she can think of. She prays. "Oh Kira-sama-I am unworthy, but please, let me join you after my death-let not this d-demon take my soul-" she babbles wildly. Her eyes are bulging, wide and glazed over at the sight of a nightmare come alive-no, no human could dream up a nightmare this frightening. Sweat pours down the back of her neck as she shakes violently.

At one point, some neighbor finally grows weary of the ongoing babbles and screams; reaching the end of her rope, she swings open her door and roars at the red-haired girl to **SHUT UP**. Which Lina does. Trembling.

"W-w-wh-what are y-you?" she asks in a quavering voice, staring at the creature in front of her. The thing is very tall, taller than most humans. It has mummylike wrappings covering its rounded head; two jagged holes are seemingly torn from the front to allow yellow-white eyes to peer through. Insect-like arms, long and spindly, with three long, sharp fingers on each. White and black, with a toothy, fleshy mouth. A horrible sight to behold.

It gulps, removing its long arms from over its head. "I-I am Sidoh," it says nervously. "I am a Shinigami-a G-God of Death."

"No," Lina whispers, her eyes growing even bigger. "That's-that's not possible. Sh-Shinigami are the things that make up children's tales. They do not exist!" "I'm standing right in front of you!" it exclaims indignantly.

"N-no!" she yelps, averting her gaze. It's too much to take in.

"Are all humans in denial?" Sidoh inquires. "We're as real as the next guy, and yet they refuse to accept it. Who do they think ends their life? It's very hurtful..Shinigami have feelings too, you know…"

Very, very gradually, Lina has begun to realize that this is real. As much as she wishes it were otherwise, how can she deny the truth when it's standing right over her? "I-I-I'm sorry. I suppose you're right," she stammers. "Maybe-maybe we should try this again."

"Okay," he replies apprehensively. "I'm Sidoh, God of Death, male, Shinigami Rank 8." _Well, that was very..formal._ She can't believe she's about to introduce herself to a demon. She draws in a shuddering breath. "My name is Lina Hikari. I'm, um, female, 15 years old, and-well, I don't really have an occupation at the moment, but I am a loyal worshiper of the almighty K-Kira-sama."

She almost chokes on the last bit. What if the Shinigami is offended that she worships a _real_ God?

Sidoh cocks his head sideways. "Did you just say 'Kira'?" he asks, sounding a bit surprised. Lina starts trembling again. _I knew it. I'm finished!_ Her faith has finally gotten her into real trouble.

"Hmm…" The Shinigami turns his gaze to the skies, as if thinking hard. "Kira, Kira…that name sounds familiar..I think Ryuk might've mentioned something, but that was a while ago.."

"Ryuk? So that's another..another.." She can't make herself say it.

"Another Shinigami. Not that he really acts like one." Privately, Lina thinks that Sidoh isn't exactly one to talk, but she holds her tongue.

Another question. "Wait-does that mean that Kira-sama is a Sh-Shinigami as well?" He shakes his head. "Nope. I know Ryuk was going on and on about somebody named 'Kira', but I wasn't paying that much attaention."

Recalling Michael's odd question (_What a coincidence_, she thinks), she asks, "Sidoh-san, does this notebook-does it have the power to kill whoever's name is written in it?"

"Pretty much. But there are a load of other rules involved; all kinds of intersecting guidelines and details and things you can't do. It's a real drag-but hey, how do _you_ know about the Death Note's power?"

She ignores the question and turns glimmering grey orbs to the Death God, clutching the notebook of death tightly to her chest.

"Please, tell me the full rules."

_To be continued_

**-Rule VI of the Church of Kira:**

**Never let your Faith waver.**

**Uncertainty is the first step in falling from Grace.-**

**A/N: Well, aren't I fickle. Inspired by a review from Moonshine 369-san, I cranked out this chapter. I still can't make any promises about when updates come out, but I _am_ going to continue this. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. -SS**


	7. Chapter 6: Fade

Disclaimer: Don't own anything besides Michael. Satisfied, you pesky lawyers?

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 6: Fade**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

An hour or two passes, and Lina Hikari is dizzy.

Dizzy, first and foremost, from trying to memorize all those rules (she has a decent memory, but still).

Dizzy with shock, still struggling to accept what has just happened to her formerly normal world.

She is also dizzy from a very dangerous thing-possibility.

Possibility is what drove the last human to use a Death Note to ruin. But that is a different story.

Her mind is almost bursting at the seams with the overwhelming thought of, _Think what this could do!_

She is both excited and terrified. With this unearthly power, she could…she could…

Her shoulders slump. _I can do nothing._ She was caught up in the sickeningly sweet thrill of new power, intoxicating and blinding. But now she realizes the main flaw in her vague ambitions for this notebook. _Killing is the work of criminals,_ she recalls with a silent sigh. _And criminals are exactly what Kira fights against._

However, the part of her on the road to addiction to this power isn't about to let go so easily. _But,_ she argues with herself, _what if the only people I killed __**were**__ criminals?_ _And-and only the most terrible ones I can find. And on top of that, only the ones that the authorities can't get to! _

She's trying to justify. Another step down Kira's path; except Lina has different notions of what that path leads to. Only a select few know better about it than she.

_I would be helping the police, the world, __**and**__ Kira! It's the best possible choice. _

The obvious next step in this thinking staggers her.

_If…if I did this, then I would __**truly**__ be a servant of Kira!_

_Most of the Last Worshippers can do no more than pray. But that's not enough. With this notebook, I could prove the existence of Kira's powers-of true righteousness-to the world! I can carry out his wishes, get more people to believe. They couldn't possibly deny Him, not with that kind of evidence. _

It's all going too fast; but Lina, usually not one for impulsiveness or emotion, is more excited than she's ever been. She believes it her god-given duty to obey Kira's laws in a more practical way. With this, she can show her love for Kira, and make the world a better place like He would want.

Lina is only human, of course, so naturally a small part of her rational mind cries _No! You would take another human's life?! You __**can't**__! Not even for Kira!!_

A painful internal struggle ensues, with many different voices inside of her begging not to be silenced. Her head aches with the sheer hugeness of the decision she needs to make.

_I….I…!_

In the end, she settles on a compromise. She will test the notebook on the most terrible, most dangerous criminal she can find, then see if she still has the stomach-or the heart-for it.

The nervous, anguished, human part of her mind moans. _This is wrong._

But the power-mad side of her, disguised as a voice of religion and belief, rejoices. _You are doing the right thing! In this way, you can fully give your soul over to Kira, and someday He will welcome you into His perfect world._

The second voice is louder. It crushes all other options.

The humanity inside her mind screams in agony.

Has it begun the path to fading?

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Lina reaches home with a lot on her mind, and finds her mother making simple salad and bread for dinner. If the grey-eyed girl hadn't been used to her mother's scant meals, she would have sighed. After skipping breakfast and eating only a half-bowl of soup in school (courtesy of those bullying students), her stomach is writhing in protest.

"Good evening, Lina," Yura Hikari greets her daughter. "How was your day?"

She knew it was coming. It comes every day, like clockwork. And like clockwork, she dodges the question-doesn't lie; simply sidesteps. "I got one of the top scores in my math class today, Mother." There is no pride in the words; they're simply a means to escape giving her mother a straight answer.

Yura frowns, missing the absence of pride in the sentence. "You shouldn't brag, Lina. It is neither becoming to others, nor endearing to Kira-sama." Lina bows her head, ashamed. _He will forgive me. He must, once I have done His work for him…right?_ "Of course, Mother. It is understood." "It had better be, is the stern reply."

The grey-eyed girl silently retreats to her plain, colorless room. "So, wh-what are you going t-to do?" Sidoh inquires apprehensively. He's hoping that she'll give up ownership of the Death Note immediately, so he can go back home. There's no telling what will happen if she decides to keep and use it indefinitely. Besides that, how long has it been since he last wrote a name in the notebook and extended his lifespan? He's not sure, and that worries him.

"W-well?"

Lina stares out the window, eyes shining like the full moon. There is little peace behind those eyes.

"I am going," she answers slowly, "to test the power of the Death Note."

It is exactly what he hoped he _wouldn't_ hear.

_To be continued_

**-Rule VII of the Church of Kira:**

**Avoid any crimes against Good and Justice, because no matter how small the crime, Kira will frown upon you for it.**

**Lying is an offence above all others.-**

**A/N: I find the last part of that rule ironic; I mean, when you look at Light…**

**Reviews are always greatly appreciated, but feel no obligation. Hope you enjoyed. -SS**


	8. Chapter 7: Shades of Violet: Red

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of the characters in it-besides Michael.

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Kirasuporter1993; thank you for Alerting!**

**Special shout-out of joy to ****Moonshine369****, who was kind enough to put this story on her profile as a Featured Fic of the week!! –glomps- Thanks so very much!!**

**-ahem- Now that I'm finished spazzing…I hope you enjoy the chapter. :) –SS**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 7: Shades of Violet - Red**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Even with resolve set, her hands are shaking. Her entire view of the world, of life itself, is shaking. Violently.

The Death Note lies on her desk like an omen of doom (which, essentially, it is), surrounded by a grim and ominous aura. It's not something she can see; more like something her being can sense, but she finds the strength-the foolishness?-to disregard it.

Lina is terrified and exhilarated. Soon, she will truly serve Kira.

But what if she can't handle it? Using a supernatural power to take human life…

_No,_ she thinks firmly, shoving her straying thoughts firmly back in place. _No matter what, I will stay strong. I can't waver. _Her faith will keep her strong.

She sits at her desk and reaches for the book's cover hesitantly. She is almost..afraid. Afraid of something with this much power. Afraid of what she is about to do. Afraid, selfishly, of what it might do to _her_.

But her newfound willpower kicks in, pushing her to lift the death-black cover and lay the book flat open. "Oh Kira-sama," she breathes softly.

Simple white pages, the same as any other normal notebook. But she can practically _feel_ death seeping from the spine, oozing into her. Filling the atmosphere with what humans interpret as 'evil'. A quiet lust for death drifts from the lined pages.

She refuses to let it deter her. She searches through a drawer and brings up a pen with dark violet ink. _Violet?_ she wonders. _Well, the rules say that the color doesn't matter..and I want to get this over with.._

A small _click_ as the cap is pulled from the pen. Lina inhales shakily.

Sidoh almost groans. _Great, she's actually going to use it…And why is she taking so long? It's just death; nothing abnormal…but if she goes through this ridiculous, drawn-out process every time, who knows when I'm going to get back home? _

She lowers the pen's point to an unsoiled page. Blank, pure, and waiting to be colored with a death sentence.

Realizing something, she racks her brain for a name. _Why didn't I think of one beforehand?_ Her hand pauses above the paper. A life is extended for a few more seconds. _Um…oh, all right, he'll do._

Struggling to recall the exact spelling from yesterday's newspaper, she scribbles in tiny handwriting-wobbly, from the hands' renewed shaking-

_Mashite Sakaru._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 12th, xxxx.

Mashite Sakaru, 35, suspected serial killer, dies in prison while awaiting trial.

Cause of death: heart attack.

_To be continued_

**-Rule VIII of the Church of Kira:**

**Death is only natural. But it is something you should be ashamed to do, unless you have contributed something to the greater good.**

**Pray that you will join Kira, when Death comes to end you.-**

**A/N: On a good note: my other serial is basically finished (I'm just agonizing over the epilogue…), so I will hopefully have more time to work on ANL. Domo arigato, those patient enough to put up with me; I shall try to update more frequently. **

**I hope you liked this chapter. Reviews are my day's highlight, but feel no obligation. Have a nice day. –SS**


	9. Chapter 8: Shades of Violet: Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, for the ninth time..I need a better disclaimer…

**A/N: Thanks to Moonshine 369 for reviewing!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 8: Shades of Violet - Blue**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Michael Karson, 15.9 years old (roughly).

Birth date-July 18th, 1997.

Only known child of Katherine Karson, alias Linda.

Nephew of Mail Jeevas, alias Matt; which is not a well-known fact.

Father unknown.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Could 'Kay' be wrong?

That is the question that has been plaguing Michael for a while now.

Against his better judgment, he hopes Kay has been mistaken. It is a foolish thing to hope, he is well aware. All logic, mathematical and otherwise, says that it would be good if Kay is right. All logic says that Kay _is_. Plain and simple.

Yet, that potential truth bothers him immensely.

He doesn't want the new problem to be _her_. Anyone but _her_.

Besides, she doesn't seem like a stupid person; in fact, she seems quite intelligent. So he tries to convince himself that she wouldn't do anything so idiotic.

He's never been too good at persuasion, though. Especially when every bone in his body is saying that _something_ is off.

Something is most definitely off.

_Uncle Mail,_ he thinks, sighing quietly. _I'm going to sort this out._

_And when I do, it's going to be in honor of you._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_A small, pale boy with reddish-brown hair sits, hunched over, jabbing at buttons frantically in a futile attempt to defeat his opponent. His dark eyes grow wide; he realizes the fight is hopeless..but he can't give up!_

_He stabs at the first button again, pressing it so hard it gets stuck down. The boy gulps, trying for one last shot, but-_

_Red words flash across the small, banged-up television screen._

_**Victor: Player 1!**_

"_Darn it!" the boy cries, flinging his controller to the gray carpet. "Why can't I ever win? I must be terrible!" _

_The redheaded young man beside him grins, setting down his own controller. "You're not terrible, squirt," he replies, ruffling the boy's already messy hair. "I'm just better."_

_The boy groans. "If you were 'just' better, I could beat you," he grumbles. "I've been practicing for years, and I can't even come close! Why're you so good?!" _

_The man shrugs. "Dunno. Guess I'm just special." The grin widens. "You're pretty good too, though. I almost had to give it my all there.." The boy eyes his uncle warily, not sure if he's being teased or not. "But I'm not good enough."_

"_Not yet," the man says lightly. "But I wouldn't worry about it. I'd bet that at this game, you could kick any other kid's-"_

_He's cut off by a cool, warning female voice. "If you swear in front of Michael again, Mail, I will personally force you to swallow that game controller you love so much. Got it?"_

_Mail sighs. "You're no fun, Kat." Shaking his head, he turns back to Michael. "Well, as fun as this is, squirt, I gotta get going. Mello'll have my hide if I don't meet up with him on time." He sighs. "Slave driver…" _

"_Why do you always go back to him, if he irritates you so much?" the dark-eyed boy inquires. _

_Mail smiles. "Irritate me? Nah, he doesn't irritate me. I was just kidding. He's my friend. So I'm always gonna help him if he needs me. See?"_

_Michael smiles back. "I get it, uncle. See you later."_

"_Alright, squirt. I'll see you next time."_

_But something is wrong. The minute Michael's uncle shuts the door, there's blood-everywhere, blood. Loud bangs, one after the other, sounding like some lethal mix of thunder and lightning. _

_A storm wrought from a gun has stolen away his beloved uncle's young life. _

_And there's still more blood-dripping from the ceiling, from the curtains, pooling from the kitchen, streaming off of his own hair and hands; he's drowning in it-_

"Gaahh!"

Michael Karson bolts up at his desk. He whips around, looking back and forth rapidly, almost falling off his chair, searching for the blood and the murderers. Before he realizes what happened.

He fell asleep at his computer again.

He puts his head in his hands, drawing in a shaking breath. He's sweating. He's angry at himself for getting so scared over a stupid nightmare, but he can't help it.

He absolutely loathes blood.

The other presence in the room eyes him irritably. "What is the matter with you, boy?!" it snaps. "Pull yourself together and _think_. Work, so that something more interesting than this _monotony_-" she spits the word "-will occur." A threat creeps into her words. "I really do dislike being bored. Don't press your luck."

Michael brushes off his companion's annoyance, regaining control over himself.

If there's one thing he excels at, it's disregarding others.

"I've processed half the remaining data," he informs her emotionlessly. "That should cut down on my options considerably."

"_Your_ options?" she sneers coldly. "You wouldn't even be _in_ this situation if not for me."

He turns to meet her deathless eyes with his cold ones.

"I am well aware of that. Maybe _that_ is why I don't like you."

Having cast the die once more in this constant gamble for his life, Michael Karson turns back to the monitor.

_To be continued_

**-Rule IX of the Church of Kira:**

**Do not associate with nonbelievers, unless it is to show them Kira's Way.**

**Rescue them from themselves, and earn favor in His eyes.-**

**A/N: A whole chapter without much plot progression on Lina's part…hn. I just couldn't resist shining a bit more light on Michael, you know?**

**Reviews are, as always, cherished and loved, but feel no obligation. Hope you enjoyed.**

**-SS**


	10. Chapter 9: Transition and Transfer

Disclaimer: …I do not own Death Note; just Michael. Sheesh; _I need a better disclaimer!!_

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to…Moonshine 369!! Thanks for being so gloriously faithful to this story! :)**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 9: Transition and Transfer **

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"L-Lina? Is s-something wrong?"

The girl doesn't answer the Death God. She remains frozen, stiff, curled up in a corner, back pressed hard against the wall. Her hands grip her head, almost clawlike, clutching at her hair as if determined to rip it out. Her face has gone ice-pale; grey eyes insanely huge and glossed over with fear. She isn't sweating. Sweat would undoubtedly freeze on her shock-cold body.

"What have I done?" she gasps, mournful and soft. "He died. Mashite Sakaru actually _died_. I..I _killed_ him!" She is frantic now, panicking, and Sidoh doesn't know what to do or say; death-giving is only natural to him, and he can't understand the horror that comes from a human taking the life of another human.

"I'm a killer," she croaks out, shaking like an earthquake. "I-am-a-_murderer_."

Those words strike her dumb. She releases her savage grip on her hair, breathing deeply. Sidoh glances at the open notebook and then back to the girl, his irritating tie to this world, who is rapidly falling apart. "You knew it was going to k-kill someone," he reminds her somewhat peevishly. "You knew that very well. If it was going to make you act like this, then why did you use the Death Note in the first place?!"

She pauses in her hysteria to ponder his question. _Why did I…Oh! That's right. I did it for Kira. I did it to help him, to please him. _

She's been set on a dangerous path, but her thoughts are now like a train screaming downhill with no brakes-impossible to stop, and quick in coming.

_And..and Kira is the very meaning of truth, of justice, of good! So if I am doing His work, then am I not doing good? I killed that criminal in the name of what is right. He was evil. Evil must be destroyed, if humans are ever to have any respite from the dark world they've made for themselves. _

Yes, 'that criminal'. Not 'that man'. Not another human. Just a criminal.

Just evil.

And evil must be wiped out.

_If I do this, if I remain strong and faithful, then I will be Kira's proxy!..No, a mere girl could never be His proxy. But maybe-maybe, I could become His trusted servant. A servant, at least._

_I can make a better world. I can teach nonbelievers the Way. I can show everyone that Kira exists, that He is all-powerful and good. _

_Kira is Justice. By humbly taking His name for a while, I could show them all that!_

Excitement. Exhilaration. Fear. In that order.

_It's only natural to feel this way,_ she convinces herself. _After all, I am only human myself, and to take another's life is…but no, that criminal was..an enemy. _

_Yes, he was an enemy of good. Look what damage he did in his short time!_

_He was only…evil._

_Nothing more._

_And I am helping everyone by trying to exterminate evil!_

…_Right?_

"Thank you," she breathes. "Thank you, Sidoh-san. I..I almost lost my nerve." Her voice strengthens. "But not again. Never again," she declares firmly.

"With this notebook, I hope to make a more peaceful world." A rare smile crosses her face as she meets the Shinigami's death-seeing eyes. "Wouldn't that be amazing?"

She remembers all the times she and her family have been tormented because of her religion. She remembers rat fur, soup, and sharp stones. She recalls newspaper reports of vanishing children, murdered mothers; pictures of men with bullet holes through their heads, lifeblood spilled everywhere, taking a soul with it.

Fear, misery, pain, tears, screams, loss, agony, death.

_With the notebook,_ she thinks, absentmindedly stroking the cover in an almost fond way, _I will make all of that go away._

The smile brightens. Ecstasy.

_No one will ever have to suffer again._

She returns to her seat, and picks up the pen.

_To be continued…_

**-Rule X of the Church of Kira:**

**Emotion is a useless weight.**

**Know only:**

**Love for the almighty Kira**

**Love for all that is Good and Just**

**and**

**Love for family.**

**In that order.-**


	11. Chapter 10: Soliloquy

Disclaimer:..Since I still have no better ideas..I do not own Death Note. Just Michael.

**A/N: Thanks to Cataquack Warrior for Favoriting!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 10: Soliloquy **

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 12th, xxxx.

Asaka Aeru, 22, convicted of a series of classified crimes involving hacking in xxxx, dies in prison one week before her scheduled release.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 13th, xxxx.

Watashi Ikkon, 25, soon to be arrested on charges of involvement in terror-linked activities, dies near a gas station while on the run from authorities. 

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Hello, Lina-san….Lina-san..? Are you all right?"

"Hm..? Oh-yes, Michael-kun. Sorry; I guess I'm just tired."

"Ah."

It was an awkward exchange, hardly eligible to be categorized a conversation.

Michael observes his friend out of the corner of his eye, wondering why she seems so..out of it.

Whereas Lina, a newly crowned killer, isn't really paying attention to anything around her. She runs through the facts of her new existence in her mind.

Contrary to Sidoh's initial belief, the death of Asaka Aeru was in no way the fault of any high school girl. Aeru was known to be rather fragile, and her health had been in rapid decline since even before her arrest. That part was pure coincidence.

The end of Watashi Ikkon, however, can be entirely placed on the young girl's shoulders. She planned and carried out one more execution on that night, putting into play the logic that the more you do something, the easier it gets. She put down the date as a day ahead, for no particular reason, but did not change the cause of death-which would be a smart move if she wanted her doings to remain on the down-low.

The reason for this is simple. She doesn't want the killings to be hidden, glossed over and dismissed. She wants them out there and obvious, in the open, so that everyone can see plainly that they are no coincidence. She wants it to be clear, beyond all doubt, that Kira has returned and has resumed passing His judgment.

Yes; put that way, it all sounds so simple. So clean.

But plans like that can rarely cover the pain, the indecision, the internal struggles that the assassins must first overcome in order to achieve their noble and selfless goal.

Lina worries. She worries about what she's doing-though she can usually bury that fear, for some period of time. She worries about being caught, which would defeat the whole purpose of her plan.

The idea is to make the world see that Kira is passing judgment again. If faced with irrefutable evidence, the public will be forced to conclude that that is the case, and belief in Kira will expand enormously. Consequently, they will also believe His teachings, like the need to be kind and fair. And the world will become more pure.

But if she gets discovered, the plot goes down the drain. Not only will it be clear that a mere teenage girl is behind the so-called Kira killings, but then that possibility will be brought up any time another case like this presents itself. Simply put, discovery now would taint the plans of any who, in the future, might possibly try the same thing.

Sometimes she asks herself, _Can it really be true belief if what they're believing is no more than..me? Isn't that some branch of false hope? False worship?_ But the answer always presents itself triumphantly: _Of course not. Because Kira __**is**__ real and you are His servant and proxy, to an extent. You are simply helping the belief along._

Another frequently asked mental question, one she asked herself long before the appearance of the Death Note, is: _Why did Kira discontinue His judgment?_

After His original appearance in 2004, when he must have felt the world too filthy to be left alone any longer, the world entered a beautiful golden age where His ideals were absolute, and crime rates were reduced to almost nothing. It was a wonderful time, peaceful and sympathetic, kind and just. For years, humans lived in safety from themselves.

But in 2010, He disappeared.

All of a sudden, judgment halted in its passing. Peace soon vanished along with Kira; the world went back to the way it had been before, and the few remaining believers-now scorned and looked down upon-were left in a state of shock, wondering if the glorious world had just been a dream.

_That is why Kira is needed_, she reminds herself. _Because humans are impossible to trust with their own future. Kira is necessary, to show us the way to a world of light._

Her inner monologue ends with the start of class.

However, a certain pair of concerned dark eyes watch her with suppressed worry that does _not_ end.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Well? Anything?"

Two impatient words, as per usual, are Michael's greeting as he arrives home. He ignores Kay, thinking that a small lesson in patience might do her good.

Besides, he likes to avoid any type of contact with her as much as he possibly can. Not an easy task, but when successful, one well worth the trouble.

"Boy, I would advise you not to press your luck," she warns in the tone of a feral huntress. "Tell me about the new information."

He bites back a sigh. "There _is_ no new information," he answers with strained, illusionary tolerance. "You can't expect her to give something new away _every bloody day_. And that's _if_ she is the one in the first place! I do sometimes wonder if this is all some wild goose-chase you've set me on out of boredom," he adds hotly, an out-of-character loss of temper.

"What's a goose?" Kay asks, then cuts off her own question with another. "I 'can't expect' that much, hm? Oh, _can't_ I. In case you've forgotten, I have the power of life and death over your pitiful, pale, pathetic fragile self. Besides," she adds, voice growing slightly sly, "this 'investigation' is a cure for _your_ boredom as well, is it not?"

He chokes on trying to formulate a proper response, coming up with only "Don't associate yourself with me. Understand?" He storms to his room, having been caught off-guard by Kay's spot-on observation.

Speaking of whom, she might've chosen to point out that he was in no position to be giving orders, but that isn't necessary. He'll fall apart in his own time, and it's far more interesting if such a thing occurs _slowly_.

She grins-the grin of someone who has drunk human blood, and enjoyed it. A slightly mad smile, seen on the faces of precious few actual humans.

_That moron was right about one thing,_ she thinks amusedly. _Humans certainly are interesting._

_To be continued…_

**-Rule XI of the Church of Kira:**

**We destroy our planet.**

**We destroy our lives-**

**and others'.**

**We destroy the beautiful illusion of kindness in this world-**

**this world that is, surely, and more rapidly now than ever, falling to pieces.**

**_This_ is why Kira is necessary.**

**He will show us the Way.**

**With His guidance and Just Judgment, we can truly live in**

**a world of Light.-**

**A/N: Yes, that last rule was a play on 'Light', as in (baka) Yagami Raito. **

**-coughs- Apologies, I just don't like him. But yet I couldn't resist making a reference to him in the rules of his personal little religion. –shrugs- Yes, I am weird.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Oh, and just a heads-up; there's probably going to be a delay in updates for a little while. I'm scrambling to put together a Christmas fic (or fics) for my other fandom, and am in waay over my head. Again.**

**Reviews are always cherished, but feel no obligation. Have a nice day. -SS**


	12. Chapter 11: One Can Almost See

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Michael.

**A/N: Thanks goes to Kirasuporter1993 for Favoriting!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 11: One Can Almost See**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 14th, xxxx

Mitsuri Akene, 45, facing impending arrest on multiple charges, dies while hiding from the law.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_One a day; that should be enough,_ she thinks.

This neat, simple, organized logic keeps her from having to kill more than one person a day. She feels cowardly and unfaithful for doing so, and tries to justify it with another argument.

_In Kira's time of glory, He was often methodical. If exactly one person dies every day, the public will be compelled to accept His existence all the faster, right?_

Of course, this weak reasoning can't possibly cover all the variables, such as people who die from perfectly natural heart attacks and such every day. But Lina is starting to feel desperation welling up in her again.

Killing is harder than she hoped it would be.

The humane little voice in her head has returned from the grave to continue its loud protest. It frustrates her, that she apparently cannot devote herself wholly and entirely to her cause. That irksome tiny voice is persistently denting her resolve, despite the best efforts of her complicated, more power-loving voice to crush its opposition.

To mentally stave off the pressing issues of faith and willpower, she allows her mind to wander. She wonders about the eyes of the Shinigami. About the rules of the notebook, and who or what created them.

More often, she wonders about death.

Particularly, what comes after. Where is she going to go at the end of her life? If she is to believe Sidoh-and how is it a good idea not to?-she cannot go to Heaven or Hell. So what, then? Does that mean she can exploit some believer's loophole, and join Kira in a place that is neither conventional afterlife? Is that rule a code of some kind; that those who use the Note for good can go to a more special place?

And what will happen to the _world _after she's gone? After Kira stopped passing judgment-for whatever reason He had-people gradually went back to their sinful ways. The world had slowly slipped backwards from the edge of utopia, into a dark mucky hole of tears and blood.

It never came close to that golden, shining edge again. Things here and there would spur it hopefully forward a bit, and then the hopes would be dashed when crushing force-cold, hard human nature-caused it to slip on the muck and crash painfully back into reality. The reality its inhabitants had forced on themselves.

What if the same happens once she is no longer around to play proxy to God?

_My only option,_ she frequently reminds herself, _is to be the best servant I can possibly be. I must be as perfect as I can. I must pass judgment often and justly. Without fail. _

_I must instill faith and belief so strong, not even the slimy human nature can corrupt it._

What she does not know is that this is, perhaps, an impossible task.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Two days._

One can almost see the complex wheels in Michael's head turning. Working furiously.

_Two days. The killings started on June 12__th__, with Mashite Sakaru dying of cardiac arrest. Three other criminals have died of heart attacks since then, in the space of about forty-eight hours._ June 14th is crawling to an end.

_It's only a matter of time before this all goes public,_ he reasons. _First you'll have the usual unreliables; the radicals, the fan websites, the rabid worshippers, the tabloids that print stories about UFOs every second Thursday..in short, not the sources anyone believes._

_But the evidence will grow. More criminals will die. Any moron would notice it eventually. Soon the story will be on smaller news stations that have no larger stories to cover. Rumors will fly in gossip magazines next to articles about celebrity divorces._

_Before long, it's headline news in the major papers. It's all over the television, in school..we'll see it in speeches made by the government, and people will talk about it like there's no tomorrow. It all goes downhill from there, like in the first Kira Investigation._

The boy's coldly logical and baldly realistic reasoning is often irritably dismissed as pessimistic, a dark and disturbed child's pointless ramblings. Yet he feels they serve him well in this situation.

The way he sees it, it's too early to come to any conclusions. But after another two or three days, he thinks he'll be able to harvest information from both Kira Cases-not that this can fully be called a 'Kira' or a 'case' _quite_ yet-that will help him immensely.

He shivers involuntarily and frowns to address a familiar presence.

"Before you ask; no, there's nothing really new," he says impatiently, not sparing the other a glance. "Be patient." _For once._ "All I need right now is time."

"Time," she scoffs. "That's the guiding star of mortals, isn't it? What will give you more _time_. What will protect you, help you, to extend your pathetic lives as long as possible. More _time_ for you to lie, cheat, steal, hurt. Not that I care even slightly, but still."

Michael ignores her (as he has grown quite good at doing so). He's accustomed now to Kay's long-winded and often repetitive rants on the filthy nature of human beings. He doesn't even think she cares about what she yells about one way or another. She just likes to rant. Besides, on some issues, he can't even really say he disagrees with her.

Still, to say so would only encourage such tiresome displays of temper, so he continues to focus solely on his computer screen. Even as her words become faster and more heated.

"When faced with a potentially life-ending situation, you put aside your pride-no, you _throw_ your pride away, with great force. You beg and plead for an extension of time. _Really_. Isn't overpopulation some sort of problem here? You're all going to die anyway; no exceptions, 'ands', 'buts', or 'ors' about it. What does a few more years really matter?! Not-that-I-_care_."

With those forced, angry words, Kay is silent. She's worked herself up again, and is now stewing, doubtless, plotting another rant.

The pale boy at the desk is also silent, but his is more a contemplating silence. Instead of thickening the air with pointless heat, he cools it by radiating waves of non-emotion.

One can almost see the lightbulb dangling above his head; as if it got tired of having to pop up so often, and instead decided to simply hang around full time.

It starts to flicker again, promisingly.

He's getting somewhere.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XII of the Church of Kira:**

**What comes after Death, none here can know.**

**It does not matter.**

**What does matter is that, by good deeds and loyalty to Kira, you may secure a place for yourself**

**in whatever shining place He saves for**

**His faithful.-**

**A/N: For some reason, it felt like a lot of that chapter was just pointless rambling. I sincerely hope it did not drag on, and that you enjoyed it. **

**Reviews are….oh, never mind. You know the drill. XD **

**Have a nice day. -SS**


	13. Chapter 12: Kay :Slash: Kinddara

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Michael.

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to ShinigamiKittens; thanks for reviewing and Alerting!! And to moonshine 369; thanks for reviewing!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 12: Kay :Slash: Kinddara**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Kinddara Guivelostain, age unknown.

Female.

Shinigami rank 12.

Likes violence and interesting things.

Dislikes thinking too much and being bored.

Currently attached to a human.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

What humans called her was of no concern to Kinddara Guivelostain.

Still, it had been curious to watch the human boy go through so much thought deciding what to call her, when she first arrived.

A child like him could have remembered her unusual name without much effort. But he found it distracting to recall, and also conspicuous if he ever spoke to or of her outside his own room. Even _in_ his room, if his mother overheard.

He would have called her K. Just 'K'. Plain, simple, easy.

Except…

The original K, a young girl who had resided at Wammy's House years ago, had been very introverted and shy. (He knew this only from his mother's stories.) After leaving the orphanage out of paranoia and sheer, amplified nervousness, she wound up in a mental hospital. For all anyone else knew, she remained there. Maybe she had died. Who kept track of a missing girl with no family?

Out of respect to K (the boy could be infuriatingly proper) and her timid nature, he had refrained from lending her name-even if it was fake, it was the only name she had in anyone's memory-to a vicious Death God.

He had settled on 'Kay' instead.

Not that she could see much difference. Not that she cared. K, Kay; what did it matter?

Her original purpose in travelling to the mortal world had been to temporarily escape the miserable monotony of the Shinigami Realm, where staring at new specks of dust had become considered entertainment (the dust didn't even move, as there is no atmosphere there). A sort of vacation, if you will.

She wouldn't have considered it, or even thought about it normally. Besides not being the brightest of the bunch-as her rank testified-she was also a tad arrogant. How fascinating could mortals possibly be?

That view was challenged when Ryuk-an idiot of a Shinigami; he was really very stupid-returned from an extended period in the human world. He had latched onto a supposedly very smart teenage human; a boy who had tried to use the Death Note to create a perfect world, over which he himself would reign as God.

Which was moronic, of course, in Kinddara's dark and deathless eyes. The Death Note was a tool for killing. Whether you considered killing a good or bad thing was of no consequence; no matter your ideals or plans, only death could come of using it. And death was considered a bad thing among mortals, so there you were.

The whole scheme was insane. Despite the boy's ability to keep Ryuk miraculously entertained for years, in the end he met his death by the Shinigami's Note and pen.

Just as it should be.

Only death came of the Death Note; it should have been obvious to anyone with half a brain, or even less.

Anyway, Ryuk had returned and gone off telling and retelling the story until it became something very rare in the Shinigami realm-a legend.

So when Kinddara started to really feel the weight of boredom pressing her down, she decided to give Ryuk's radical adventure a try. She wrote a good few names in her notebook, then removed all the pages she had written on and dropped her notebook in the middle of a town in the human world.

She had decided to keep a normal notebook on hand as well, to keep records on what she saw and heard during her time there. She would make her own legend, with this great experiment on the human nature.

The boy who saw and picked up the Death Note was unusual, even by Kinddara's standards. He had dark eyes, sort of dead-looking, and was sickly pale. He had reddish-brown hair, somewhat the color of dried blood, and it drew her to him. He was what she had hoped for. He was interesting.

She kept him on his toes; threatened often to take his life, as she easily could. He answered back, often in an even sharper, colder tone. She enjoyed these sort of quick exchanges.

It delighted her when she realized that another Note had been dropped, and nearby as well! Entertainment could only go up as a result of this slip made by Sidoh; another idiot. Stupid nervous imbecile. But in this situation he had proved himself useful. He had attached himself to another human, one Lina Hikari.

She had a connection to Kinddara's own human, Michael Karson, which made it all even better.

Upon seeing the girl, Kinddara had eagerly stared at her-and her life span-

and she had laughed.

She had laughed long and hard.

The monotony had been shattered.

She couldn't wait to see to outcome of these events that past and present had set in motion.

_To be continued…_

**-Rule XIII of the Church of Kira:**

**Prejudice is to be avoided,**

**of course;**

**as well as**

**intolerance**

**rage**

**unfaithfulness**

**and any other type of sin.**

**Be near-perfect and faithful, and bring us one step closer**

**to Kira's Utopia-**

**one we can build on earth.-**

**.A/N: A totally pointless aside…12 corresponds to L in the alphabet…So yay L? **

**Ugh..forgive me, please; I am exhausted. Hope you enjoyed the chapter; the usual disguised plea for reviews applies. XD -SS**


	14. Chapter 13: Kardia

Disclaimer: I own Michael…that's pretty much it, besides Lina and Kinddara's personalities. And Lina's name.

**A/N: Thanks to Kirasuporter1993 and Moonshine 369 for reviewing!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 13: Kardia**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 15th, xxxx.

Kuroyami Otogi, 30, dies while imprisoned for abuse of his family.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Devil-girl."

_Here we go again._ Why must she be bothered today, of all days?

"You do understand what you support, right?" the blue-eyed boy next to her continues. He's sitting next to her at the lunch table, leaned toward her casually, as if they were friends having a normal conversation.

"Kira…"

She tries and fails to block him out. She can predict what he'll say. She's heard it a million times; the root of all hatred and prejudice against Kira-worshippers. _Block it out. Think of something else.._

"..is nothing more.."

She's so tired.

Exhausted, really, might be a more apt term. Between frequent late-night prayer sessions, the mental weariness that comes from her new duty, her strict parents, and a demanding school system-along with confrontations like this-she would like nothing more than to lie down on the nearest surface and sleep until Kira comes back.

"…than a petty…"

But of course, that can't happen. Tiring as it is, this lifestyle can only be interpreted as a test, of her loyalty and willpower. Giving up now would bring her to deeper shame than she cares to even imagine.

Besides, this is bigger than her now. Whether they know it yet or not, the people of the world are slowly beginning to depend on her to lead them to the light. It would be, at the very least, selfish to neglect her duty now. She has committed.

"..murderer."

Her brain is forced back to concentrating on the boy's calm words. The word 'murderer', for obvious reasons, has provoked more of a reaction from her lately.

Again for obvious reasons, perhaps, she does something she knows she should not do.

She engages in what is diplomatically known as a 'debate'.

She looks him in the eye and almost falters. Behind blue ice and a calm façade lurks dangerously raw nerves, and some sort of fire that could melt the ice and break free at any moment. Despite her mind yelling not to get tangled up with him, her voice betrays her.

"Why do you make that assumption?"

He raises black eyebrows, doubtless surprised that the statuelike Lina has broken her silence and challenged him. But he makes a quick recovery.

"'Assumption?'" he repeats, almost incredulously. "But it _is_ the truth, see? If you kill someone without conducting trial first-and convicting the person-it's murder."

"Kira-sama conducts His own trials," she replies, forcing her voice to keep cool and steady. "He knows more about right and wrong than any human could possibly hope to, and is therefore better equipped to judge without us getting in the way."

"So he's a dictator," her opponent spits bitterly. "He rules his kingdom with fear and violence. He sheds blood and then throws it in everyone else's faces, ordering them to call it righteousness and daring them to say otherwise."

"He is a king," she returns reverently, trying not to let letting anger rattle her. "He rules us because He knows what is best for us. We are corrupted, we are dirty. But He is not-He is pure, He is justice, and He can help us if we will give Him a chance."

The boy shoots her a gaze of disgust. "Filthy demon-girl," he growls, mask fading. The fire is starting to bleed through. "Mindless idiot. Do you have no mind of your own?! If Kira was so curst great, he wouldn't _need_ our approval! It didn't stop him the last time, that people hated him; he just killed them off! Until, thank some _real_ God, he quit it. But now look-he's back, and I don't remember sending him any invitation!"

A gasp, followed by a wave of murmurs, emits from the rest of the students, who paused in their dining to witness the sparring. Lina feels her eyes widen in shock.

Her plan is..working. This boy has openly acknowledged that Kira is back, and if he's noticed, he can't be the only one. If a vehement, non-believing high school boy has realized this fact, then who else must have come to the same realization?

She gazes into space, trying not to let her rapture show and ruin everything. The battle is over for now. She stands with dignity, smiles faintly at the boy, and leaves the room with ecstatic grace.

_It's working,_ she keeps thinking. _It's actually going somewhere._

_Kira, are you proud of me?_

It's a childish thought, but one that cannot be helped.

Anyone in her position, against what seemed like the world, would want a little acknowledgement. Some show of appreciation.

Something to say that it's not all for nothing.

_But even if Kira never gives me a sign,_ she thinks, _I will press on. I won't be discouraged. It's __**not**__ all for nothing._

_No matter what, I will believe that._

She has to.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_**That**__ was an interesting exchange._

Michael looks down at nothing with worry etched in his face.

_This is exactly what I was afraid of. The Kuroyami boy noticed something off..of course, in his position, who wouldn't? 30 is not a normal age for death by cardiac arrest.._

_It's out there now. If he's noticed, then so have others. It's reasonable to assume we'll be hearing a lot more things like this in the near future. _

_And no matter what I may feel about it, the evidence to support 'that theory' is building. Of course, little things like that could naturally be coincidence..But judging from Kay's reaction, and from those little things that become larger things over time…_

_But it's the personality bit I'm having trouble with._ The bell rings. He doesn't notice. _A methodical system of killing like that must belong to a sociopath…or maybe just a sadist…it could even be someone who doesn't care at all. Those are the types of things investigators during the first Kira Case came up with. They even considered some sort of childish personality.._

_But she doesn't fit any of those profiles. Maybe..maybe my line of thinking is what's off here._

_Traits that most normal people would consider signs of cruelty or some psychological disorder could, twisted the right way, also be interpreted as willingness to defy one's humanity as a result of extreme faith…it's things like those I'm going to have to pay attention to from now on._

_In the meantime, my best bet is to observe as best I can…and maybe do some…_

A small smirk crosses his face. Briefly.

_..hacking._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Stupid little….!_

A tirade of swearing escapes Kuroyami Anata's mouth in the front schoolyard, reminding him of his father on a good day. On a _bad_ day…well, Anata would rather not recall.

Not that that's a _problem_ anymore, oh _no_. _Kira_ has made sure of that.

And that moronic little girl has the _nerve_ to worship Kira. Call him a _god_. Well, she's never gone through the loss of someone close, obviously. She'd change her tune _then_..

Not that Anata and his father had ever been exactly close. He's pretty sure he still has a scar or two thanks to that foul-tempered man who always smelled of smoke and alcohol. His mother had fared even worse, before a meddling neighbor smartened up and called the police.

If it weren't for the neighbor, Kuroyami Otogi wouldn't have gone to prison. He wouldn't have been murdered by Kira.

Kira. Kira. Why was he back? Before, when he'd first appeared, Anata might have even become a supporter of who some called a 'crusader for utopia'.

But not now. Absolutely not. Kira had killed his father-lowlife though he had been-and Anata would do whatever he could to stop another advent by the mysterious 'god'.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XIV of the Church of Kira:**

**Do not question Kira,**

**nor seek to understand Him.**

**He is beyond mere human comprehension, and our sole purpose**

**concerning Him is to worship and follow,**

**and to lead others to do so as well.-**

**A/N: Again, I'm feeling like this is just pointless rambling..I have got to make something _happen_ here. Ugh..**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it! Reviews are beloved and adored, but of course feel no obligation whatsoever. Thanks for reading! -SS**


	15. Chapter 14: Blitz Hopes

Disclaimer: I own Michael Karson and Kuroyami Anata. That is all.

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 14: Blitz Hopes**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Michael Karson preferred not to swear. He found it unnecessary, immature, and generally distracting. Besides, some of his classmates swore enough for the entire continent. Yes, Michael disliked swearing immensely.

And he had been swearing a blue streak almost nonstop for the past twenty minutes.

He had lost control. He couldn't help it. He was used to having the upper hand in intellectual situations, particularly with computers and other technology. He looked down on the so-called superiority of firewalls and other advancements of the like. His natural intelligence had made him perhaps a bit arrogant.

But his Mail Jeevas had been somewhat genius himself. Specially-made firewalls, cleverly-planted viruses, and every other challenge under the sun was attacking and laughing at Michael's efforts to hack his uncle's old computer.

Even though the young man usually known as "Matt" was dead, he was still finding time to engage in a tense battle of wits with his nephew. Even now, Michael was still being confronted-having his inferiority pushed back at him-by his uncle.

Mail was a big part of the reason why Michael had latched onto this 'case' in the first place...

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"_So what exactly are you helping Mello with?" _

_The skeptical boy gave his uncle a probing look. Mail shrugged. "This and that. He's trying to get rid of Kira-I assume you've heard of Kira."_

_Michael nodded. It was impossible not to have heard of Kira those days. He had still been trying to sort out his stance on the matter, but if his uncle was against Kira, then so was Michael. It was a child's sentiment, but one that would stay with him._

_Mail put down his game controller briefly, to tell Michael the story of the Death Note. "I'm having issues trying to wrap my head around that one," he admitted, "but whatever. I'm just the sidekick in all this." He didn't have to stress the need for secrecy to his nephew; Michael usually knew when to keep his mouth shut._

"_Anyway…I think the world would actually be a better place if Kira wasn't in it, personally," Mail continued, restarting his game and speaking simultaneously. "The kind of world he's going for seems more like one grand dictatorship…After all, screwing up is the only way we can learn to do anything right." _

_He shrugged. "But hey; who asked me, right?"_

_There was silence afterward until the young man had to leave again. Michael had said goodbye, then gone off to sit on his own to process every unbelievable thing he had just heard. _

_It was the Death Note bit that really cemented his position against Kira; a link to that mind frame outside of what his uncle believed. _

_In his mind, the whole thing resembled a game. Chess, maybe, or perhaps something more complicated…but the chess metaphor would work for now. _

_He could picture it all-a sleek board of sheer black and white glass, smooth as marble. On top of the board everything seemed clean and perfect._

_But beneath the glass, trapped in a more nightmarish reality, were silently screaming corpses lost in the blackness of death or a world that no longer wanted them; courtesy of Kira._

_Yes, it all made clean-cut sense this way. Blatant, blunt logic. On the white side (because white always moves first) was Kira as the regal and imposing King (because the King, while powerful-while the key to winning the game-is really a weak, lost soul that needs to protection and sacrifice of others). The 'second Kira' from earlier in the case took the place of Queen (because the Queen, while seemingly powerful, is really just as vulnerable as anyone else). Others had the positions of Bishops, Rooks and Pawns; nothing and nobody important to the King._

_On the black side stood Mello as the Queen (Michael decided to keep that particular comparison to himself..); powerful, but with weaknesses-including overconfidence. Mail was the Bishop (because the Bishop stays in the corners protecting the King and Queen, attacking sideways and escaping like a shadow). The Rook was the enigmatic "Near", spoken of only in whispers at the Karson residence (because the Rook is slippery and hard to catch, yet holds its own formidable power)._

_The Death Note in the hands of Kira was like giving the King the power to move however many squares it chooses, in any direction it wants. It was overpowered. It encouraged dirty play._

_It was cheating._

_That was what really hardened the boy to Kira._

"_If you're going to play, then play fair and let the best man win."_

"…_However..they say that two wrongs don't make a right. But two negatives make a positive, and really, I'm more apt to side with math and science than philosophy anyway."_

_So, the black side had a bit of a cheat too._

_The black King had been known as L. But that King was taken out, which should have won the game for the white side._

_But it hadn't. It only earned the white side a respite and a few more pawns._

_Then, the black side returned with double the power._

_Cheating was necessary if the opponent did so first. But once that sort of thing leveled, in the end it was Black that should have won all along. _

_Cheating earned only an extension of time._

_Those who had entered the game with pure __**intentions**__ to play fair would always win in the end._

_That was how Michael thought of it._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

But just as in chess, some pieces had been sacrificed to get to the King.

A troublesome white Pawn known as Kiyomi Takada had lured both the black Queen and, indirectly, the black Bishop, to their demise.

Still, that cleared the way for the black Rook to jump forward and take out the white King.

That hard-fought battle had ended rightly. The world quickly repaired the damage Kira had done.

Until now.

Now, some upstart is trying to start the whole thing over again. And Michael will _not_ let that happen.

He grits his teeth and jabs at a few more keys.

He will win this battle quickly and cleanly. He is a King with no command of an army.

And behind him lurks a scheming Queen; waiting, always waiting..

Always ready to stab him in the back and watch him die in his own blood.

Sweat. Stress. A muttered curse. A few more keys, rapid-fire, and then a small grin.

_I'm in._

_To be continued _

**-Rule XV of the Church of Kira:**

**Belief in childish myths**

**such as monsters or fairies**

**or other Gods;**

**even what are known as Shinigami**

**is the same as rejecting and denying**

**the existence of Kira.-**


	16. Chapter 15: Words Left Behind

Disclaimer: Out of boredom, I have stolen L Lawliet to do my disclaimer! XD L-sama?

L: What?...Mm, a disclaimer? Why?

Me: Because I'll give you cake if you do..

L: -sparkly eyes- SkywardShadow does not own Death Note, or _a_ Death Note (hopefully). There is an eighty-five percent chance that she never will. She does own Michael-san and Anata-san..which sounds rather wrong, if you think about it.

Me: Uhm, okay. Thanks..-hands cake-

**A/N: Sorry this chap took so long…Christmas ficlets and all…Anyway, this chapter is for Moonshine 369; thanks for reviewing! Also to threehoursofsleep; thanks for Alerting!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 15: Words Left Behind**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Finally, the last obstacle has given way to a loading screen. Mental cheers fill Michael's head; he's outsmarted his uncle at last.

The page has finished loading. Michael leans forward eagerly; he's unsure of what he's going to find, but this tiny piece of cyberspace belonged to _Mail Jeevas_; there must be _something_ of use in regard to the case.

An icon appears, blocking the entire screen. Thinking it's just a pop-up ad, the boy reaches for the mouse and hunts for the close button…only to find that there isn't one.

He gives the 'ad' a second glance, does a double-take, and immediately starts to work his way through the entire alphabet of swear words.

For the icon is a bright, garish pink, bearing a cartoonish thumbs-down and three blindingly yellow words:

**YOU LOSE, SUCKER**

Foiled again.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_What can I do?_

The question buzzes irritatingly in his ear like an elusive wasp, stinging occasionally; roars silently in his head like a car accident of thoughts. A collision, an explosion. His head and peace of mind are slowly but steadily reaching their breaking points.

Anata knows there must be a way for him to halt Kira's advance; slow it, at the very least. He needs the initiative, the first blow, the first move. The time to gather his own support before the general public, not knowing any better options or opposition, joins the side of Kira. The murderer.

He's not thickheaded enough to think he can win _everyone_ over-people like the Hikari girl, for instance, so immersed and firm in their own faith, are beyond help. But luckily her kind are a minority. They've been scorned for awhile now, anyway; nobody takes them seriously.

But that will undoubtedly change as Kira goes more and more public. Which is why Anata must find a way to reach as many as possible before…well, before Bad Things Happen.

His own leap into whatever publicity he can get is going to be a double-edged sword technique in itself: on the one hand, he'll be appealing for support against Kira, which is good. But on the other hand, to do so he'll have to blatantly announce his belief in Kira's existence and return, which-worst case-could make the murderer's climb to power accelerate.

So the question remains, buzzing incessantly: What can he do?

He tries a different mental angle. How do people in more normal situations gather publicity? Flyers, typically. Newspaper ads. Televisions commercials for those with high budgets; somehow, Anata doubts his small allowance will cut it.

Notes? Hmm. A simple (albeit slightly childish) yet effective way of spreading the information. At least around school. This particular method has no chance of reaching larger numbers, but it can at least suffice until the boy sorts himself out and figures out a way to get through to the rest of the world.

He fetches a pen and paper and begins to write, while wondering where he might find a photocopier..

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 16th, xxxx.

Ajanti Kuso, 49, convicted on charges of burglary and attempted murder, dies in prison less than a week after his trial.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

She blinks, bemused.

_This is odd.._

Then again, maybe not so odd. After the lunchroom debate the other day, she supposes she should have seen something like this coming.

It had been a small piece of white paper on her desk, folded into a square. It had sat like a war summons on her desk, just as on everyone else's. Brimming with warning energy; the kind that automatically made you feel apprehensive because whatever was written within, it could not be good. It was easily recognizable as an invitation to fight. A letter of instigation.

Some students had simply tossed theirs away, without even looking. Others had unfolded the squares cautiously, read a few words and then thrown them aside in disgust. Or maybe something less dramatic than disgust. Whatever; it didn't matter. Some had gone so far as to ball up the papers after reading them, then gone to fling them at the instigator.

(He was all too easy to single out. After all, Kuroyami Anata was the only one who had no letter on his desk; yet there he sat, bold as brass, like _he_ was the one doing _them_ a favor.)

But there were still others. The fourth group of note-readers had been the smallest, yet the most noticeable to Lina: they read the notes. Then they read them again. They sought out others in the room who were doing the same, and they would bend over the words together, murmuring and thinking. They folded the papers back up and put them in a bag or pocket, and stole brief glances at the black-haired boy who had written them.

It is that group, no matter how much of a minority they may be, that worries Lina the most.

Because from out of the woodwork has emerged a till-then nobody. A shadow lurking behind, in front, wherever he could not be seen; but now-now he arrives on the spot as an unflinching rival, and enemy to her ideals and her God. To her goal.

And with these words, he has boldly announced himself.

No stranger to the dangers mere paper can hold, the red-haired death-giver rereads the note again.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_To: whoever gives a dang_

_So by now you will have undoubtedly noticed the steady return of Kira. Yes, Kira. The one who kills with heart attacks, who announces himself with death and metes it out without giving a trial. The greatest and most powerful mass-murdering dictator in history._

_If you can't stomach that simple fact, then get the flip outta my note. Go on; shoo._

…_cowards gone now? Great. Those of you man enough to keep reading, allow me to give it to you straight:_

_He's back. Back and killing. More and more people. The death count builds every single day._

_I for one loathe this guy. He undermines everything anybody human stands for. He has no concept of freedom, human rights-like the amazingly important right we have to screw up._

_I'm serious. If we didn't screw up, we would never get anywhere. Ever. If there's no 'worse', there can be no 'better'. Do you see where I'm coming from here?_

_Kira doesn't allow that. He won't let us mess up. He won't let us fall; if he sees it coming, he'll push us himself. And if he's allowed to come to power again, it will be the end of freedom, and life as we know it._

_So help me out. It's not like it'll require any physical effort on your part; I'm just asking you to close your mind and heart to Kira, the killer._

_Don't let him in. Every one opposing person makes a huge difference. We can keep murder from becoming law. _

_We can keep chaotic killing from becoming order._

_-A_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

She flips the paper over. On the other side, in bold black letters, reads:

_**DEATH IS NOT JUSTICE!!!**_

She bites her lip sadly. Her poor classmate is woefully disillusioned. He is deeply rooted in his negative and wrong belief that Kira is an evil, murdering dictator.

Why can't he understand? Why won't he join her in the joys that God's Light can bring?

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Michael reads the words of Kuroyami Anata over and over again. His smile grows wider every time.

He isn't alone against Kira. And this boy's ideals are oddly close to his uncle's.

Anata's situation isn't so different from Michael's own, he realizes. Both have family members that have been destroyed by Kira. Both believe that a world run by Kira is a fate worse than apocalypse. Both are trying to make a difference.

He rakes his fingers back through his hair, gnawing on his lip in concentration.

_Yes, I have an ally. Even if he doesn't notice that he is in that position._

_But with someone on the loose who will no doubt try to kill any opposition, how long can we-particularly Anata-possibly hope to last?_

His smile fades away, slow as death.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XVI of the Church of Kira:**

**Some turn away from Kira because they believe **

**He will enslave us.**

**They are wrong.**

**The ends will justify the means; **

**Kira must pass judgment without human corruption,**

**because we cannot be trusted with that particular job.**

**By taking just one small bit of freedom,**

**He will save us**

**from ourselves.-**


	17. Chapter 16: Obvious

Disclaimer: I own Anata, Michael…and sort of Lina. Kinda.

**A/N: Thanks goes to Moonshine 369 for reviewing, and also to ShinigamiKittens for Favoriting! Arigato!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 16: Obvious**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Harushika Hikari, more commonly known as Shika.

Birth date-February 13th, 2001.

Second child and only boy of Masoi and Yura Hikari.

Somewhat reluctant member of the Church of Kira.

Likes video games and breaking the rules.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Shika Hikari listens to his mother's murmurs with a practiced ear. After eleven years, he's perfectly honed his eavesdropping skills. He's just lucky Yura likes to talk to herself; otherwise he'd never have a clue what was going on.

"….has returned..He must have…All these criminal deaths…it can only be Kira-sama's work…Oh, thank God I have lived to see this day.."

Her voice is cracking with ecstasy and gratitude. Shika resists the tremendous urge to roll his eyes. _Why are my parents so obsessed with Kira? I mean, he killed people-big deal. Anyone can go and kill someone. Most of us have the conscience not to do it. _

_But he __**did**__ kill only bad people, right?...Hmm.._

Inner monologues like this are typical for him. There's nobody else he can tell these sort of things to; his parents and sister are completely Kira-obsessed, and Shika would probably be disowned if he said anything against the enigmatic 'god'. And he knows his friends are incapable of keeping their mouths shut, so there you are.

Shika doesn't watch the news. He finds it boring and pointless-his reasoning is that he can't do anything about terrorism or wildfires, so why get upset over it?

However, matters involving Kira are something else. One cannot help hearing about him these sort of days, whether he wants to or not.

And his mother's mention of God has triggered a realization in the boy.

_Why are criminals only being killed in Japan?_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Why are criminals only being killed in Japan?_

The question plagues Michael as well. He can't believe he didn't pick up on the simple fact before; it's a crucial asset to his case-and yes, he now feels entitled to categorize it as a 'case'.

The obvious conclusion that can be come to is that the new Kira is somewhere in Japan.

But Michael is wary of obvious conclusions, as they are all too often misleading.

The original L pinned Kira down to the Kanto region of Japan by using a televised trick. L had come to the decision to stage that trick after realizing that many of the criminals dead had been well-known in Japan. He had cornered Kira further by staging the trick in Kanto, a decision he had come to by tracking the criminal deaths back to the first.

It was, of course, an extremely smart move. So Michael tries to follow the same thought pattern.

_So criminals are mainly dying in Japan_, he thinks. _The most conspicuous argument to the case that Kira is in Japan is, of course, that he would have an easier time getting a hold of criminal's information locally. After all, crimes like these aren't important enough to get attention overseas._

_But if this Kira is exceptionally smart, he will have learned from the previous Kira's mistakes, and spread out the dying criminal's nationalities to make himself more difficult to pin down._

_However, let's say we must make the assumption that this Kira is __**not **__exceptionally smart, and resides in Japan. If I could somehow track this back to the first criminal killed under this Kira, then I could use a similar trick to L's to test the theory that he is in whatever region..then again, who says Kira is simple enough to fall for such a trick, when it's already been used once?_

_Well…it's worth a try…_

He puts his currant hacking project aside for the moment and starts working on getting into the police server..

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Not possible.."

"That's what we thought the first time, Yamamoto."

"But…but…"

"Well, it looks like we have another Kira case on our hands."

"But why hasn't Ne-I mean, L-said anything? He's keeping pretty quiet about this one..why?"

"Who knows with him. I'm sure he's working on it himse-"

A beeping sound. Shuffles, and then a button is pressed.

"Hello?

"_Watari here. L would like to speak to you."_

"…Put him through."

A pause. Then a synthesized voice comes through.

"_Hello."_

"Hello, L. What's going on? Have you been working on this case yourself?"

"…_No."_

"Wha-_no_? What do you mean 'no'?"

"_I mean 'no'. I would think it was obvious."_

"Very funny. Why aren't you working on this case?!"

"_..I am following the case, yes. But I am not attempting to solve it."_

"I gathered. But _why_?"

"_..Before I explain, I should warn you to tighten your computer security. Someone just hacked into your server; I've been tracking it…"_

"_What_?!"

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"_Kuroyami residence. We can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message after the tone."_

_**Beeep.**_

"_Hello; Kuroyami-kun? This is Karin Asiki from school. I read your note, and I agree with you entirely. I want to help. Please call me back at 890-3423 so we can discuss this further. Goodbye."_

_**Beeep.**_

_To be continued_

**-Rule XVII of the Church of Kira:**

**Justice has all too often been viewed as a matter of human personal opinion.**

**Because of this, many bad things have happened.**

**By following Kira, we can introduce firmly to the world the True and Absolute Justice that He can bring. The Righteous Justice that we cannot possibly find on our own.**

**With this, we can make a truly beautiful world.-**

**A/N: May I just say, so sorry for the wait! -.-;;**

**A random little note..I put a lot of thought into ANL chapter names, but it occurs to me that readers might not have a clue what the heck the titles are supposed to mean. I kind of went in metaphorical circles with a lot of them….so if you have any questions about chapter titles, please feel free to ask.**

**I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are the highlight of my day, but feel no obligation. Sayo! -SS**


	18. Chapter 17: Correspondence Chess

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. 

**A/N: Sorry again for the wait!! I hate it when my muse deserts me…**

**This chapter goes to JXu; thanks for Favoriting! And also to Meggi of Mysteri OusStranger; thanks for Alerting and Favoriting! Hope you all enjoy!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 17: Correspondence Chess **

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Worry.

Such a small, simple word.

Such a _powerful_ word.

For a while now, this elusive and potent thing called worry has been filling Lina like an ocean, rising more and more. Bubbling up with a taste like acid and an ominous aura like blood. She can taste it in the back of her throat. How much time can there be left before it chokes her, before she drowns in it?

It all had seemed so simple. Kill every day, the same way, and Kira will be remembered and accepted. The world will heal. End of story-a happy ending, for once in this troubled world.

But now, there are those who stand in her way. Nonbelievers, corrupters, misguided or even evil opposition to her planned utopia. To _Kira's_ planned Utopia.

The ideal option would be to save them, to lure them gently away from their blackened, mistaken assumptions. Lead them to the light, show them what Kira truly is and means.

Yes, that would be ideal.

But as Lina's plan has not yet been fully carried out, ideal options are rarely so simple to accomplish. The Kuroyami boy; she can see just from his face that he is-more likely than not-too far gone. There is a darkness about him; it's obvious that he will never listen to her. It's saddening, but unfortunately true.

The worrisome thing about Anata is that he has started taking action _against_ Kira, openly and defiantly. Lina saw the looks on some of her classmate's faces the day the anti-Kira note flew around school; she knows he has some supporters. If he manages to corrupt them, plant his seed of disbelief and darkness deep inside of them, the result would be a large step backwards for her. People hold tightly to their convictions once they are set; she shudders at the thought of how long it would take to right them once Anata had turned them away from Kira.

So she ponders the question: what to do about Kuroyami Anata?

Should she kill him..?

_No,_ she immediately thinks with vehemence, _my duty is to kill criminals only! I will not kill an innocent boy merely because he is misguided. He has time to grow and realize the error of his ways. I will not take that from him._

_But,_ responds the silently sneaking voice that started her on this path, _there are other ways to look at it, are there not? After all, the boy is going against Kira, and encouraging others to do so as well. Is that not a crime?_

She struggles to come up with a nonviolent line of argument. _Well, no..not at the moment._

The reply. _But we are trying to create a world where such a thing __**is**__ a crime, no? Simplify it: Kira is God, light, peace; whereas Anata is fighting Kira, what does that make him? A nonbeliever, dirty and sick, corrupting poor souls who deserve to live in a world without sin or fear. He is taking them away from perfection. Is that not an evil thing to do?_

It's becoming more difficult to disagree. _That…that is…you have a point, but still…_

It presses harder, sensing victory. Smelling it, like a hunter inhales the sweet scent of the blood of its prey. Sensing fear and doubt, and exploiting it until the subject rips open. _Anata is a demon, rebelling against God. Rebelling against a perfect world. Without such a world, countless more will suffer, will die. The boy is sending a massive death sentence by persisting in his foolish belief! He deserves death for such a thoughtless crime!_

The excitement she hears, ecstasy at the notion of death, wakes her from the mental stranglehold. _No,_ she thinks firmly. _He has time to change his ways. One person cannot make so much difference. He will see reason, with time._

…_And if he does not?_ Smooth as cold silk.

She inhales sharply.

_If…if he will continue to fight Kira, if he will turn enough innocents to sin as well…_

Her eyes close without any promise of peace.

…_Then I will have no choice._

The voice is satisfied, and temporarily silences its noise.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Michael curses mildly. It is an interesting effect.

Kinddara scribbles something in her non-deadly notebook, muttering in an undertone.

_So I suppose the police smartened up,_ he thinks, watching the now-blank screen. He's just been shut out of the server.

If he really wanted to, he could probably break back in, given time. But he's already gotten what he needs: criminal records, stretching back to the first Kira Case. They finally finished downloading, and will be ready to print soon enough.

To pass the time, the restless hacker switches to a new tab. He lays eyes again on a certain chatroom he's been monitoring for a while now.

Recently, Kira-discussion forums started popping up like mad, all over the Internet. He's lost count of the number of times his server has crashed trying to keep up with all the babble.

He watches words fly across the screen with growing unrest.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**kiralvr666:** kira is gud i hope the police dont catch him _(Posted: 7:46 P.M.)_

**xXxQueenOfDarknessxXx**: yea I agree _(Posted: 7:47 P.M.)_

**xXxQueenOfDarknessxXx**: don't they get it? going against Kira means death-and who would want 2 stop him anyway? _(Posted: 7:47 P.M.)_

**Ashes2ashes**: Whoa, wait, hold up. Who said the cops were after kira? I haven't heard about that.. _(Posted: 7:47 P.M.)_

**cassie**: well duh of course they r going after Kira. they r just 2 scared 2 make it public cuz they think theyll die _(Posted: 7:47 P.M.)_

**cassie**: stupid cowards _(Posted: 7:47 P.M.)_

**xXxQueenOfDarknessxXx**: well if u were in their position, would you want ur identity known? _(Posted: 7:47 P.M.)_

**cassie**: hey, whos side r u on here, QOD? _(Posted: 7:48 P.M.)_

**xXxQueenOfDarknessxXx**: I'm just saying…no need 2 get touchy _(Posted: 7:48 P.M.)_

**Ashes2ashes**: Look, this conversation is pointless. Who's to say Kira's even really back? _(Posted: 7:48 P.M.)_

**kiralvr666**: u think all these criminals dying frm hart attacks is just a coincidance? wat r u, stupid? _(Posted: 7:48 P.M.)_

**cassie**: or r u against kira? wtf r u doing on this site, u nonbeliever?!!!! _(Posted: 7:48 P.M.)_

**Ashes2ashes**: …You have issues. Grow up. I'm out of here. _(Posted: 7:49 P.M.)_

**Ashes2ashes has left the chatroom**

**cassie**: i hope kira kills that jerk _(Posted: 7:49 P.M.)_

**xXxQueenOfDarknessxXx**: it's because of ppl like that that our world is as messy as it is _(Posted: 7:49 P.M.)_

**kiralvr666**: u said it _(Posted: 7:49 P.M.)_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

..Yes, he has to solve this fast. If conversations like this are any indication, Kira might start gripping the world quicker than Michael had initially thought.

He checks on a different chatroom he found earlier, part of an anti-Kira website called DINJ. It's an acronym he hasn't given much thought to.

Still, as it was an hour ago, and the hour before that, and so on, there is only one person who has bothered to type a comment. The site administrator, who types the same message every hour, on the dot.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_4:00 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Is there anyone out there who agrees that Death Is Not Justice?!

_5:00 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Is there anyone out there who agrees that Death Is Not Justice?!

_6:00 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Is there anyone out there who agrees that Death Is Not Justice?!

_7:00 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Is there anyone out there who agrees that Death Is Not Justice?!

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

'_DINJ'_, he thinks, piecing it together with a smirk. '_Death Is Not Justice'. I think I might know who this admin is._ And in order to keep his allies, Michael must keep their hope. Even if it may be pointless.

He signs in, types a brief message, and signs out again. _Time to print out those files…_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata checks his chatroom for what feels like the millionth time since he set it up this morning. It's become a habit now; he knows there won't be any response.

But there is one message, to his shock, and it makes him smile.

He types up a quick response, leans back and allows himself to grin.

Allows himself to hope.

If only a little.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_7:55 PM_ **ABF2010**: Yes, there is someone who agrees with that. Good luck.

_8:02 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Thanks, ABF. Good luck to you too.

_To be continued…_

**-Rule XVIII of the Church of Kira:**

**Hope is pointless**

**Optimism is equally so**

**Pessimism is, also.**

**Kira knows what will happen; He has already decided **

**What will Be.**

**It is not worth it to trouble yourself with worry or hope,**

**because you have no say in any of it.-**

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!!! **

**Ahem, as a side note, Michael's user name is a simple little code for January 26****th****, 2010-the day that Matt and Mello died. **


	19. Chapter 18: The Unexpected : and the not

Disclaimer: I own Anata, Michael, and sort of Lina. That's it.

**A/N: Thanks so much to Meggi of Mysteri OusStranger for your kind review! Thanks to ShinigamiKittens for reviewing also! And many thanks also to Deadeye 86 for reviewing and Favoriting! Domo arigato everyone!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 18: The Unexpected : and the not**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 17th, xxxx.

Motoko Ahira, 28, awaiting a pending murder conviction, dies in his home.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Check…mate.."

Lina raises her eyebrows ever so slightly, before realizing that such an act portrays arrogance and reverts them to their original position.

The words have been spoken countless times in her presence; this is chess club, after all. But never have they been spoken in this situation.

Karin Asiki has just accomplished a goal for which she has been long reaching. She has just managed to beat Lina in a game of chess.

_Perhaps I was distracted_, Lina considers, before dismissing such thoughts as also arrogant and eliminating them with nervousness. Besides, it is hardly a valid line of argument, for the dark-haired girl sitting at the other end of the table also seems distracted. Lina's classmate is not even smiling at her victory.

Karin stares at the chessboard. Someone else might have thought this behavior shock, but Lina notices something odd in her eyes. Karin isn't seeing the board. Her eyes are quietly and deceptively blank; she is off elsewhere. Far away, where it is impossible to be hurt by the trivial matters of this world. A deep, dark, far corner of the mind; dusty and cobwebbed from lack of use, a type of resort. A reclusive little place. A hiding place.

Or at least, a _resting_ place.

A few seconds pass in which a pair of girls stare off silently into space and mind. Then Lina blinks hard and shakes some invisible fog from her eyes. _I'm overthinking everything,_ she thinks unhappily. _Again. How can I ever learn to help govern a proper world if I can't even learn to see things as they are, and no more?_

The notion strikes a faint, dying chord in her. Isn't a thought like that tantamount to promoting the policy of seeing things in black and white? The 'right' and 'wrong' way, with nothing in between? No shades of grey? That, as she is all too aware, is a veritable frolic down the path to intolerance.

But, as it has been doing more often as of late, _that voice_ inside of her head jumps in with a sharp comment. A comment smooth as a cliff's side, and as treacherous.

_Look at it this way..Kira __**is**__ Right. And any who oppose Him are so very wrong. So you see, it really __**is**__ black and white. After all, 'wrong' people cannot be allowed in the new world, lest they poison the minds of the faithful. Even just one nonbeliever could topple everything you strive and stand for, and drag it down to ruin and scattered pieces._

She sighs, having since learned it's much easier not to argue but not quite ready to heed that lesson. _Yes, but they must be given time, and room to grow. Kira is so great and unfathomable in terms of His power and goodness; it's little wonder they can't accept it right away._

And then she adds, so quietly even her own mind's ear can't hear, _So stop trying to turn me into a petty murderer.._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"…"

_Flyers._

Really, now this is just getting ridiculous.

Notes are one thing, used as a break-out move. Fine.

But here Michael stands, staring at a flyer nailed viciously into a telephone pole. A vehement and painfully obvious message to the world. A piece of paper that had essentially slapped him across the face as he walked home from school. By the look of it, every other pole and tree in the vicinity and beyond has received the same treatment.

The redhead closes his eyes in exasperation. It's a good thing to have allies, but when said ally is purely stupid, they're more a hindrance than a help. _Does Anata not realize that blatantly opposing Kira with flyers and notes, like a child, will do nothing more than get him killed?_

He shakes the irritated thoughts from his head and resumes his walk, eager to get to his room and further dissect the criminal files he hacked from the police server_. If I can just figure out the first new Kira victim, I can probably find somewhere to go from there.._

_Just one telltale death, and I can get one step closer…_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Excellent. _

Anata all but skips to his room, and immediately fires up his computer to check his chatroom. Karin promised him a message of support earlier at school. Heck knows he needed it.

Right now, however, he's brimming with confidence. He thinks he can actually do it. Rid the world of Kira's scourge forever.

He has allies. Well, sort of. Karin Asiki, his classmate, has joined his little crusade, apprehensive though she is about risking her life. And sending the word 'ally' into plural form is the enigmatic ABF2010, whose encouraging message on DINJ still propels Anata forward. If only he'd checked the chatroom a little earlier; he'd have loved to talk with one of the only people who supported him.

The whole upturn in his quest made him decide to continue spreading awareness, this time by use of flyers.

_Okay,_ he admits to himself sheepishly, _so maybe using flyers was a bit of a childish move. But come on-I don't exactly have access to better means of publicity right now! If only I could get on TV or something; really spread the word around…but who'd let me on? _

_Yikes…I just realized..that'd be kinda bad, wouldn't it? I mean, if Kira can kill people using their name and face, then plastering my face everywhere and causing a scene might not be the best thing to do._

Then again, the only ones who had spread the rumors that Kira could kill with name and face (back during the first case) had been the kind of tabloids that people bring up as a joke. So maybe he shouldn't take them so seriously.

_But still, it's a good idea to avoid unnecessary life-risking moves…after all, I'm kind of the leader of this whole thing, and who'll continue it if I get myself killed?_

So television isn't an option right now. _It's not like I could've gotten on TV anyway…_

He sighs, having just gone around in a mental circle, and logs into his chatroom to post his hourly message. He checks the clock.

_7:55,_ he thinks. _Not quite.._

He's not even sure why he feels obligated to type the message on the hour exactly. _Maybe I have OCD or something…._ Wouldn't _that_ be lovely.

Something catches his eye. Another message left behind in the chatroom!

_7:54 PM_ **ABF2010**: Flyers? Was that really necessary?

Anata frowns. ABF sounds irritated. And how does he know about the flyers?

And then there is the time.._7:54? I must've just missed him!_

Cursing his timing, Anata logs in and types frantically.

_7:55 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: ABF? Are you there??

He changes the settings to Private, so that nobody else can interrupt the conversation, and waits.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Michael glances up from his work at the tiniest movement on the screen.

_A message from Anata._ He sighs, not exactly happy nor joyful about being interrupted, and starts typing.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_7:55 PM_ **ABF2010**: Yes, I'm here. And busy. What do you want?

_7:56 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Hello to you too..

_7:56 PM_ **ABF2010**: You must've missed the 'busy' part? What is it that you want?

_7:56 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: How do you know about the flyers?

_7:56 PM_ **ABF2010**: Tell me you're not serious. They were plastered all over the neighborhood; not exactly what you'd call 'subtle'…

_7:56 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: How did you know it was me putting them up?

_7:57 PM_ **ABF2010**: Is this chatroom set on Private??

_7:57 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Yeah…why?

_7:57 PM_ **ABF2010**: Because if Kira were to access this conversation, it could be very bad for both of us.

_7:57 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: You're making the assumption that Kira can't hack..

_7:57 PM_ **ABF2010**: True. Do you have an e-mail address?

_7:58 PM_ **DINJAdmin**: Yeah. 2.

_7:58 PM_ **ABF2010**: Well?

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_What a pushy guy. Jeez._ But fine. As long as he can be of some help.

Anata hesitates a moment before sending one of his two e-mail addresses on a brief trip through cyberspace. After all, he's going after _Kira_ here. He can't justifiably be worried about some Internet stalker, not with the fish he's aiming to fry.

At first he wondered why ABF would mention the flyers. Wasn't that the same as giving away your location?

But, ah, no. Anata had distributed the flyers around several neighborhoods, so he really hadn't gotten any information.

The e-mail comes in.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Kuroyami-san:_

_I figured it was you because the message on the flyers were almost identical to the ones you passed around your school recently._

_I mentioned the flyers because they were a very stupid thing to do. Anyone who was given that note or heard about it later could have figured out who distributed the flyers. Between the flyers and the notes, you're putting yourself in a pretty bad position. Not only are you blatantly announcing that you are against Kira, but the methods you use aren't reaching enough people to bother with that risk. Do you see my point here?_

_If you insist on being so public about everything, then at least figure out a more far-reaching way to do so. Television would be close to ideal, but I doubt you can manage that. But you're not an idiot generally, so figure something out._

_And while you're at it, work on hiding your identity._

_Regards,_

_ABF2010._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Yes..he's probably going to hate me, isn't he?_ Michael reflects after sending the e-mail.

He knows the message was blunt to the point of harshness, passing that point occasionally. But it was a necessary move. Anata's safety is important; among other reasons, he's one of the few allies Michael has at the moment. Therefore, he has to look out for himself if he wants to be of any help.

Michael thinks about his classmate. _How can he be so..obvious?_ he muses. _So blatant and public about everything?_ Michael himself much prefers a less direct approach; come at the opponent sideways, after thinking everything through carefully.

_Maybe that makes me a coward_, he thinks with a slight wince.

He mulls that over for a few seconds, then shakes it away. Thinking like that, analyzing feelings instead of facts, is pointless. It won't help him solve the case.

And really, if he can solve it, then not much else matters.

Even being a coward.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XIX of the Church of Kira:**

**You must Love Kira with all of your heart;**

**you must leave no room for doubt.**

**He requests so little of us;**

**so carry out this duty most**

**Faithfully.-**


	20. Chapter 19: Breakdown

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way shape or form…

**A/N Thanks ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!! Also thank you Drackner Clawrus for reviewing, Alerting and Favoriting!!**

**I'm so sorry for the delay..so sorry…**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 19: Breakdown**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 18th, xxxx.

Akana Shinosuke, 20, leader of an almost-infamous gang, dies in the gang's hideout. The group disintegrates out of fear of Kira.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Another day, another dead criminal.

As was expected, due to her methodical ways and firm determination, not to mention the ever-useful tool known as gossip, more well-known newspapers have started publishing pieces about Kira's probable return.

Lina has mixed feelings, skimming over one such column. One the one hand, she's happy that her God is steadily regaining recognition.

There is one issue, however. Small, half-noticed columns in local papers aren't going to gain her greater publicity any time soon. Besides which, 'probable' isn't good enough. She hasn't seen one single article or TV mention saying that Kira is definitely back; just little things like this carefully venturing the possibility that He _might_ be back. As if they are afraid to admit His return is the undeniable truth.

She knows why, of course, and it makes her want to scream. After His disappearance, people eventually colored His name black, associating it with death and murder. _Murder._ When it was all for humanity's own good. The injustice of it all!

So naturally nobody wants to admit that He has without a doubt returned. People don't _want_ Him. They think they don't _need_ Him, when He may very well be the only thing keeping them from apocalypse. Lina has to breathe deep to avoid clutching at her hair and ripping it out in frustration.

Well, she needs to _force_ them to accept Him, then.

The abrupt harshness of the thought makes her cringe, but she examines its logic. If this is all the progress she's made after a week of killing, then one a day just isn't enough.

She has to kill _more._

She inhales, and exhales shakily.

Then she doubles over and puts her head on her desk, clutching at either side of it with both hands.

She sobs.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Excerpt/ad from a small local newspaper, pored over multiple times by one Kuroyami Anata:

"_Tonight, 7:00 PM sharp, don't miss the revival of KIRA'S KINGDOM on Sakura TV!!_

_This evening's special program: "Kira's Return"; an intriguing topic of discussion and debate._

_Program will be hosted by Makani Airo, who boasts "I always knew he would return; always had faith…"_

_Don't miss it!!!"_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

He has narrowed it down. Greatly.

The first criminal to be killed by this new Kira (putting the possibility of coincidence out of the picture, of course) was either Mashite Sakaru or Asaka Aeru.

Such progress is the result of an entire night spent with eyes all but toothpicked open, glued to papers and a computer screen. He's pretty sure he won't be able to stay awake through class. Maybe he just shouldn't attend school at all today; after all, what's the point of wasting the time and energy of teachers and students forced to put up with him, when he's too exhausted to remember anything they say anyway?

Good thing his mother is so absent-minded. That trait can really come in handy sometimes.

…_Is this how I look at people?_ he realizes. _As tools? Do I look at them and evaluate them, judge them on value and worth?_

_**Worth**__?! What the…_

His thoughts spiral out of control way too fast, twisting in on themselves frantically.

_How can I do that? __**Why**__ do I do it? Do I think I'm superior to everyone else..does that give me the right to judge them?! __**Is that what I think?!**_

He feels his eyes growing wider. _But that can't be true! It can't, because that would make me like Kira and Kira's the one I'm trying to stop and..but the investigation can't go anywhere if I'm just like the one I'm trying to stop!_

_Agh, what do I-?!_

_**Wait.**_

…_What just happened there?_

What on earth or beyond spawned that brief but horrific insight? What planted those ideas in his head? What pushed him unknowingly to the brink, to the point where one tiny little mental comment could make him break down like that?

He blushes now, realizing what a stupid and childish thing he just panicked over. _It must be the stress,_ he reasons. _Stress and lack of sleep. Yes, I think I'll stay home today..stay home and in bed..I have to be on top of my game to solve this._

Let it be noted for the record that on June eighteenth, xxxx, Michael Karson experienced for the first time what is known as a stress-induced panic attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Sidoh feels like banging his head into the wall (or any hard surface, really) watching the girl snivel. She's been like this for almost five minutes straight; shoulders shaking, face hidden. She occasionally tries to regain control over herself, but always breaks down again.

He knows he's not what you'd call brave, but this human he is unfortunate enough to be stuck with is little short of pathetic.

Honestly. She uses the Death Note knowing perfectly well that doing so will kill someone, panics, then convinces herself it's all for the greater good and keeps doing it. Then it turns out she feels the need to kill more people, so what does she do? She falls to pieces.

_No one is __**making**__ you do this, you know,_ Sidoh thinks with uncharacteristic irritation. _If you want to quit, just give me back my notebook! Then you won't have to kill anymore, and I can go home._

At long last (Sidoh can't stand crying), the redhead straightens, with something resembling calm, and opens up the Death Note with quivering hands. He breathes in slowly. _It's like she's starting the whole killing thing from scratch all over again..great.._

She switches gears so fast it takes a second to register. Her hand darts to the side, snatches a pen, presses it to the paper like a kiss of death, and scratches out a name in quick, small, messy handwriting.

But it doesn't stop there. She does it again, writes out another name.

And another.

And another.

And….

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 18th, xxxx.

Cora Cylinda, 28, first-class thief also charged with several murder counts, dies while attempting to escape police officers.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 18th, xxxx.

Jose Amilla, 32, charged with the kidnapping and killing of a child but let off because of lack of evidence, dies in his home while preparing to leave the country.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 18th, xxxx.

Mika Soushira, 18, dies suddenly a day after killing two policemen.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 18th, xxxx.

Kamiya Nikaru, 39, drops dead while serving a life sentence in prison.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 18th, xxxx.

Lisa Kurino, alias Lisa Wilson, a queen of the criminal underground in a certain American city, dies unexpectedly in her home.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Sidoh winces and attempts to cover his ears as the human girl screams.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata flips through every news channel, shaking with fury.

Every station, the same basic story. Five people have just died. Kira has stepped up his game, slaughtering even more.

_This has gone too far already,_ the black-haired boy decides, turning off the television and standing. _I have to stop it __**now**__._

He grabs his coat off the doorknob, leaves a note with a comforting lie on it for his mother, and runs out the door like his life depends on it.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XX of the Church of Kira:**

**Death is a vital piece of the natural order, something over which we have no control.**

**Kira does have control over it, and therefore it is not something to be**

**mourned or prevented**

**or even helped along.**

**Smile for loved ones when they pass on,**

**when they are blessed to fly,**

**to join our Lord, our God,**

**Kira.-**


	21. Chapter 20: Kotov Syndrome

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. For what feels like the hundredth time. I don't own Youtube either.

**A/N: Thank you ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!! :) Also thanks a lot to Moonshine 369 for reviewing!! –happy dance-**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 20: Kotov Syndrome**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

She is cold.

Unfeeling.

Back to being the statue everyone considers her to be. An icy, white-faced marble angel like the kind seen in lonely graveyards.

She sits at her desk, unmoving, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Tear tracks, like dried-up rivers, stain her face, but she doesn't notice nor care.

_I'm weak,_ she thinks. _I'm pathetic. My faith is being tested; I have the destiny of the world quivering on my shoulders, and I can barely bring myself to eliminate a few evil people._

_And they __**are**__ evil. So why am I having a problem?_

She clasps her hands together and prays for Kira's guidance, for His help; for some small comfort.

But for the first time, it doesn't make her feel better. It feels empty, as if she is some forsaken angel left behind by her God.

She bows her head, trying to make sense of the lack of comfort prayer has just given her.

And tells herself to feel elated when she comes to the conclusion that Kira thinks she is strong enough to do this on her own.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"What are you _doing_?"

"What does it look like?" Michael mumbles, still half-asleep despite Kay's yelling in his ear.

"Don't push me, boy," she snaps warningly. "_Why_ are you in bed?! When there is work to be done!"

"Kay," he says calmly, "you obviously don't get it. Unlike Shinigami, humans need sleep. I've been getting next to none of it lately, and it's started contributing to a severe mental breakdown. Minds are like computers. This is my way of 'rebooting'." He closes his eyes again.

"The one who _obviously_ doesn't get it," she says in a low, deadly tone, "is _you_, Ma-"

His eyes fly wide open and he bolts upright in bed. "_Don't_ you use that name," he hisses, wide awake now.

She smirks. "Why not? You think Kira is hiding somewhere in the room?"

"Of course not," he mutters grumpily. "Just…Between my uncle and my mother, you could say I've gotten a little paranoid. Nobody ever knew my uncle for who he really was-in terms of his name, at least-and nobody _ever_ calls my mother by her real name, because she's never told anyone outside the family. My name is _mine_. I don't want it being spoken by _you_, Shinigami."

_Such arrogance._ She rolls her eyes, ignoring the outburst, knowing that doing so infuriates him. "As I was saying, you are evidently missing the point. _I_ am the reason you were given a head start on this 'case'; without me and the knowledge that came from your ownership of my Death Note, you would _never_ be able to solve it. I also gave you a slight nudge toward someone who may have a connection to Kira..but then again," she adds with a snicker, "I may have just been screwing with you. And then let's not forget that I can kill you at any time."

"Can you?" Michael counters with a small grin. "I have your Death Note, and it's against the rules for you to take it from me."

..True. Too true. But she still has the upper hand, in _many_ different ways.

In this case, she can make good use of a bluff.

"Is it?" she asks in a voice as smooth and silky as black ink.

She leans down so that she can speak directly into his ear.

"I am Kinddara Guivelostain," she says softly, with predatory grace. "I am a God of Death."

Her tone drops to a whisper.

"Do you really think I am required to play by the rules?"

He shivers a bit. She backs up and relishes the goosebumps that have suddenly spread all over the boy's body.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_6:35_, Anata thinks, checking his watch as he approaches the TV station. _I've got time._

He enters the building and hunts down the set. A tall, skinny, white-faced man is speaking to a lighting technician. The tall man pauses when he sees Anata wandering around.

The boy seizes the initiative, striding over and inquiring, "Are you Makani Airo, the host of Kira's Kingdom?"

The man nods nervously. "Yes I a-am. A-are you here to give your views on Kira-sama, young man? You're a-a little late, but I think we can probably fit you in."

_Perfect._ "Yeah, I ran all the way over when I saw a commercial on TV. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give the world my view on Kira." He grins.

Airo nods. Anata notices that he's sweating. _Jeez, what a nervous guy._

"That's wonderful. Go a-ahead a-and join the others," Airo says, gesturing to a few rows of bleacher-style benches positioned in front of the cameras. About ten other people are already seated. Anata winces. _Ten people. That's about ten too many._

Airo gives him a card to pin to his shirt, with the number 11 on it. Anata puts it on and hurries to the second row of benches. His watch reads 6:40. _Twenty minutes left._

He feels nervous; jittery and odd, like he wants to throw up. _Did I decide on this too soon?_ he wonders. _Was this a bad move?_

_But…Kira just killed __**six**__ people in one day. That's a whole different dimension from one a day, which is bad enough. He's murdering more and more, and I can't just wait and watch it happen! No, I've gotta do something that'll really reach these people._

_I don't really have a choice._

Still trying to calm himself down, he checks his watch again.

_6:45…fifteen minutes to go…_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"…I'm bored. Do something."

_Do I look,_ he wants to groan, _like your toy?_ But he's long since given up the faint notion that lines like those might shut this incredibly irritating Death God up. Ignoring her is so much more effective. He keeps his eyes closed.

Kay sighs grumpily, and Michael hears the television switch on. The fuzzy sounds change abruptly as she switches channels in search of something entertaining.

She pauses at one station, and after a few seconds lets out a harsh bark of laughter.

_Well, if Kay is amused by it, it can't possibly be good._ Michael sits up apprehensively. Kay has stopped at the Sakura TV station, where the infamous old Kira's Kingdom show has been revived. _Fortunately,_ Michael thinks with a smirk, _nobody has taken STV even remotely seriously since the original Kira's disappearance. _

As the host begins to speak, Michael takes a closer look at the small group of people sitting in the bleachers in front of the camera.

And proceeds to almost choke.

He sees, with a sinking, sickening feeling in his stomach, what Kay was laughing about.

"Well, boy?" she chortles. "Now _this _is interesting!"

Kuroyami Anata is on television.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata wonders, somewhere in the back of his mind, if ABF is watching this program.

_Take that,_ he thinks with grim satisfaction. _You said I couldn't get on TV; you probably thought I was an idiot. Well how do you like these apples, then? __**Ha**__!_

One of Airo's assistants is passing around copies of a slim sheet of paper while the host himself talks. Anata examines his copy with a twitching eye. The top of the sheet reads 'Kira Survey'.

_Oh, I am going to have some __**fun **__with that later._

"…so let's hear the opinions of some of our guests on Lord Kira!!"

_Yikes. Here we go…_

"How about you, ma'am? Number 3?" Airo offers the microphone to a teary-eyed, beaming blonde woman in the front.

"My name is Keisha Morgan," she says eagerly. "I am so, so thankful for Lord Kira's return…I can't even put my feelings into words. Thank you, our God, for returning to us."

She smiles and relinquishes her hold on the mike. The reverence in her words still hang in the air, making Anata feel sick. _How?_ he wonders. _How can they put all their hope, all their faith, into a being they can't even see? How can they trust him when all he does is kill? Would they trust a murderer if he said he was killing for their good? Because that's basically what Kira does…_

Airo is looking for another volunteer to speak to the country. Anata straightens up and tries valiantly to look eager and hopeful.

Evidently it works, because Airo smiles and says, "Would you like to speak, young man? Number 11?" Anata nods, forcing a grin even though he feels very sick.

An assistant passes him the microphone. Anata realizes he's shaking. _This is it. I have to say something. _

_To the __**whole country**__._

_Oh my God-Oh my God..I can't-_

_Yes I __**can**__. I can do this. I __**have**__ to._

_I have to!_

Everyone is looking at him expectantly.

He smirks in true troublemaker fashion, and starts talking-very loud, and fast.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"_No_!!" Michael yells, grabbing the television and shaking it violently. "Anata, _don't_! You're going to get yourself killed! For your own sake, please, _stop talking_!!"

But his words can't possibly reach the other boy. All Michael can do is sit by while Kay snickers, agonized, able only to watch as his sole ally against Kira delivers what could very well be his last speech.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Lina's father flips through channels, bored, hunting for the weather station.

He pauses at Kira's Kingdom.

"My heavens," he murmurs in quiet shock. "Yura..Yura, come look at this.."

Lina's mother enters the room, frowning. "What is it, Masoi? You know I don't really approve of you watching so much televi-" She stops short, seeing what is going on.

She doesn't see her daughter's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. And something else.

Recognition.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Hoo…well, this is slightly harder than I thought…oh well. What'd I expect?_

Anata is being forced into multitasking mastery. He's speaking into the mike, giving his well-prepared anti-Kira speech; speaking loudly and fast enough to get it over with before getting caught, but not too fast to understand. He's also dancing around the benches, darting around to escape the clutches of the assistants and technicians chasing him, trying to grab the mike out of his hands.

The speech is finally finished. He turns in Airo's direction (aforementioned host is gaping like a fish) and yells into the mike, "I said I was giving my views on Kira, you murderer-loving lowlife. I didn't say those views were good!"

He throws the mike up into the air to briefly distract his pursuers and makes a run for it.

"_Stop him_!" Airo shouts, sounding like someone out of a movie. But Anata keeps running, until he thinks his lungs will burst, and finally reaches home, having outrun anyone who may or may not have been chasing him.

Breathing hard, he retreats to his room and takes a glance at the survey he was handed.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Kira Survey:_

_1-What is your name?_

_2-How old are you?_

_3-What is your occupation?_

_4-What do you think of Kira?_

_5-Are you a member of the Church of Kira?_

_6-Do you believe Kira is righteous?_

_7-What do you think of Kira's Kingdom on Sakura TV?_

_8-How long have you watched Sakura TV's programs?_

_9-What are your hopes for the future concerning Kira?_

_10-Were you alive during the first reign of Kira?_

_11-What did you think of Kira then?_

_12-Has your opinion changed since?_

_13-How?_

_Thank you for taking the time to fill out our survey!! May Kira bless you!!_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

He smirks and mentally fills out his answers.

_One: Like hell I'm gonna tell you._

_Two: Read the answer above._

_Three: Student, and full-time die-hard trying to get rid of Kira..person. We're working on the name._

_Four: I'm not going to waste my energy answering that. Just look up 'Kira's Kingdom premiere' on Youtube; I'm sure you'll get the gist._

_Five: What are you, stupid?_

_Six: You obviously haven't been listening here…_

_Seven: Think it's a great way to get some easy publicity. Idiots.._

_Eight: Tonight-when I watch the replays of my five minutes of fame-will be my first time._

_Nine: I'm opting for a future where he's not in it. Get my drift?_

_Ten: Man, you're nosy…_

_Eleven: You do realize this question is pointless if I wasn't alive then, right?_

_Twelve: Then again, maybe I'm giving your intelligence too much credit._

_Thirteen: …Yep. Definitely giving you too much credit._

_Boneheads. If I want that kind of blessing, I can pick a jail and ask an inmate. Go jump off a cliff, will you?_

Feeling immensely satisfied, he turns on his computer to check his chatroom and Youtube. While waiting for it to boot up, he looks at the survey again and thinks of something.

_Well…it's not exactly gonna turn them against Kira, but it can't hurt to see what people are thinking, right?_

_Though, at this rate, I'm going to spend all my spare cash on photocopy fees…_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

That night, three people have the disastrous opening episode of Kira's Kingdom on their minds.

One looks back on the memory with extreme satisfaction.

One looks back on it with horror, and a worried clenching of the stomach.

And a third looks back on it with deep inner turmoil.

_I don't want to kill him!_

_But….if this does enough damage, if he keeps it up, then I won't have any other options._

An interesting night, indeed.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXI of the Church of Kira:**

**We must all make difficult decisions.**

**But with Kira's Godly Help and Guidance, we can overcome any obstacle.**

**Never lose faith in His ability to help when He is needed the most.-**

**A/N: Today is January 26th.**

**Rest in peace, Mihael Keehl and Mail Jeevas.**


	22. Chapter 21: Minor Exchange

Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own Death Note. Or Google, or Youtube. Thus endith the amazingly creative disclaimer for today. -.-

**A/N: Mosi mosi, cherished readers!! Just so you know, 'minor exchange' is a chess term. It means to exchange a bishop for a knight, if I remember correctly…Well, hope you enjoy! ^_^**

**This chap's for ShinigamiKittens; thanks once more for reviewing!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 21: Minor Exchange**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 19th, xxxx.

Five ex-members of the late Akana Shinosuke's gang die, not unexpectedly, while clearing out the gang's old hideout.

Causes of death: all heart attacks.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_I don't believe this. He's finished._

Michael got a grand total of zero hours of sleep last night, courtesy of his reckless ally. If there was any doubt before-and there was some-it is all but gone now.

_Anata's going to die._

_I shouldn't be surprised. The idiot's been getting more and more bold since he started this anti-Kira campaign. Doesn't he understand that we need to go carefully?! There are so few people who will be willing to risk everything to catch Kira, so those of us who __**are**__ willing have to take care of ourselves! Doesn't he see?!_

He lays in bed, staring at the ceiling, eyes wide open despite his body's desperate moans for him to close them. _He is actually going to die. Unbelievable._

_How could you be so stupid, Anata…?_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Why? Why does he feel the need to push his luck so much?_

Lina stares in disbelief at the slim sheet of paper in her hands. Underlined letters at the head of the paper read 'Kira Survey'.

She closes her eyes for a moment, praying, praying for patience she has never before let be worn so thin. Glancing around the lunchroom, she sees that nearly three-fourths of her fellow students have also received such a paper.

Appetite lost, she pushes away her food and digs a pencil out of her bag. She scribbles her answers quickly and without too much agitation. _There. Maybe now he'll leave me alone. _But she knows that's just wishful thinking. _Just __**how far**__ is he willing to go?_

She's not even sure she wants to know the answer.

On the way to her next class, she stops at his locker (as the paper instructed) and slips her survey through the slats. She can barely push it through; apparently every other person who received such a survey filled it out.

Her heart sinks, ever so slightly, as she imagines what answers those unseen papers might conceal.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

School over, Anata struggles home with a plastic grocery bag overflowing with Kira Surveys. He wasn't able to print out copies for every student, unfortunately; he ran out of money sooner than he thought he would.

He barricades himself in his room and starts sifting through the huge pile.

When he gets to one sheet in particular, he pauses.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Kira Survey:_

_1-What is your name? _Michael Karson, not that it's any business of yours.

_2-How old are you? _How is that relevant?

_3-What is your occupation? _Student, unofficial but aspiring detective. Also, I probably keep the pharmacy open solely on my Aspirin purchases.

_4-What do you think of Kira? _I'd rather not go into that. Nothing I have to say on this matter can possibly be complimentary.

_5-Are you a member of the Church of Kira? _Judging by my above answer, wouldn't you hazard a guess that the answer is no?

_6-Do you believe Kira is righteous? _These questions seem a bit repetitive..

_7-What do you think of Kira's Kingdom on Sakura TV? _I found last night's episode fascinating. I can't believe that anyone would do something so stupid.

_8-How long have you watched Sakura TV's programs? _Never before last night, and hopefully never again.

_9-What are your hopes for the future concerning Kira? _I wish him every painful death imaginable. As soon as possible, preferably.

_10-Were you alive during the first reign of Kira? _You are very nosy..

_11-What did you think of Kira then? _That is a personal matter.

_12-Has your opinion changed since? _Evidently you have not been listening.

_13-How? _…Yes…you have obviously not been listening…

_Thank you for taking the time to fill out our survey!! May Kira bless you!!_

I don't really believe in blessings, least of all from murderers.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata stares at the paper for a while, reading it over multiple times.

_Michael Karson…_

The style of the writing, little hints hidden in the answers..

Maybe it's a premature conclusion, but Anata has a feeling about this Michael..

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

On a whole, Lina likes to follow the rules. They give her a comforting sense of routine-something stable, something to hold on to. A clear list of things to do and not to do; proof, the ability to say "_I'm right. I am in the right_."

That mental association, paired with a relatively strict upbringing (Yura Hikari is determined to take no chances when it comes to getting her children into Kira's ideal land once they die) and a somewhat quiet demeanor, means that Lina is one of the last people you'd expect to go against the rules.

_Although,_ she muses, _calling this 'rule-breaking' might be a bit dramatic..Since it's our choice whether to join after-school clubs or not, shouldn't it be our choice whether or not to attend them? I mean, it's not as if chess is really vital to my education…_

What is she saying?

Lately she's been noticing a definite shift in her mental tone and thought process. For the longest time, she has understood that to be with Kira after death, in the light, she must be "good". She trained herself (with her parent's help) to keep her mouth shut, and eventually that morphed into some amount of control over her _thoughts_ as well. She learned to keep her _mind's_ mouth shut, in a way.

But recently her control over that mental mouth has been slipping more frequently. The bullies at lunch, for example? She has ignored them ever since she was old enough to realize that if she reacted, they'd never leave her alone. But just the other day, during the usual teasing, something inside of her _snapped_-she could almost hear the tiny crack-and she stormed from the lunchroom in a black, black mood.

Other things, too; little things. Little snappish growls of anger in the back of her mind when she would usually keep utterly quiet, inside and out. Tiny acts of rebellion inside, small revolutions led by herself _against_ herself.

It's beginning to disturb her.

Now this, the latest little change: she is skipping chess club and going to an empty classroom to use a computer.

The only times she has been allowed to use a computer before were for school projects that absolutely required it (Lina's mother has issues with computers, for some reason). But after Kuroyami Anata's escapade on Sakura TV, Lina needs to find out how the general public is reacting. She almost feels it _vital_.

She turns on the computer and Googles Youtube. Then she searches 'Kira's Kingdom opening episode'.

After a few variations of this search, she finds a promising-looking video. After watching it with the volume muted and confirming that it is indeed Anata's few minutes of fame, she scrolls down apprehensively to see what others are saying.

_Over 500 comments,_ she thinks. _Let's see what they have to say…_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**lucas258** (5 minutes ago)

man what's that guy thinking?? doesn't he know he's only going 2 get himself killed? still..pretty brave thing 2 do, I guess

**IAmTheCheese** (14 minutes ago)

LMAO who is that kid?

**xjustxanotherxgirlx** (20 minutes ago)

How stupid can you get? Kira is so going to kill him, poor guy..

**Mikayla** (45 minutes ago)

i never get sick of watching this vid

**shay** (52 minutes ago)

awright students against kira 4evr!!!!

**FM6** (1 hour ago)

W00T U GO KID WE'RE BEHIND U ALL THE WAY FTW!!!1

**xxxsTeepTNsInZxxx **(3 hours ago)

check out 2:14 Airo looks like he wants 2 kill some1 XD XD i gotta admit that was something…and the guy has a point, i mean kira is kinda like a dictator isn't he? he kills us without asking our permission and then ppl go and worship him. so wrong :p

**SaintNightmare** (40 minutes ago)

What the hell are you getting at, xxxsTeepTNsInZxxx? Kira kills CRIMINALS. If the criminals get caught by law enforcement, they either get LET OFF so they can kill some more or WE kill them, in which case Kira is no different from regular law enforcement. We NEED Kira, don't you get it?

**lurvechica** (32 minutes ago)

get off ur high horse, SaintNightmare..i think xxxsTeepTNsInZxxx has a point and wtf do u mean "we need kira"?

**ABF2010** (5 minutes ago)

We don't need Kira. Kira is just a petty murderer who wants to play god because some people are sappy enough to worship him. The boy in that video is stupid, but I think he has the right idea. And I agree with what he said.

**MxMfan** (3 minutes ago)

f--- you ABF no duh we need Kira look how bad our world got without Him!!

**ChessAlice** (10 minutes ago)

Good luck to the guy in the vid; hope he doesn't get killed :'(

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Page after page, on and on it goes. People around the world expressing their opinions and sometimes engaging in intense, heated debates. Lina is guiltily fascinated.

Eventually she turns off the computer and leaves school quietly.

She has almost forgotten why she got on the computer in the first place.

But the little sinister voice in her head reminds her, snidely pointing out that the public seems to be divided pretty evenly. Roughly half of the Youtube commenters were against Kira, half supported Him. There were a handful of neutrals (pleasure-seekers who watched the video for its excitement, instead of its worldly importance), but they were an obvious minority.

_This is a sign,_ the voice observed in a smirking tone. _The world is, or will soon, slowly divide into camps once again. Pro-Kira, Anti-Kira. And because of the Kuroyami boy, there will be more and more who go over to the latter side and curse themselves. Is that what you want to happen?_

_Shut up,_ is her snappish though silent reply.

For once, she doesn't mind her new bursts of temper so much.

_What angers you,_ the voice murmurs, determined to get the last word, _is the fact that __**you know I am right**__. Anata is getting in the way, and even just one person like him is enough to stunt the growth of Kira's perfect world. _

_Are you willing to sacrifice Utopia for the life of one boy that no one will miss or remember?_

She won't answer. Or maybe she just can't.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXII of the Church of Kira:**

**Nobody is perfect, except **

**God.**

**Our job as worshippers of Kira is to be as close as possible.-**

**A/N: Ah, please don't kill me…^^;;;**

**I know, this chapter is out ridiculously late. Insanely late. I'm sorry, I'm sorry…Recent plot progression is making updates harder than I thought. Which is no excuse, I know..gomenasai, I will try harder to get these out sooner!!! -SS**


	23. Chapter 22: Debate : it's never easy :

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note…-cue _**Gloom**_ kanji-

**A/N: Thanks again ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!!! **

**Oh yeah, random note: we Death Note junkies have another member in our ranks! My good friend Deathmax-kun (aka DeathFruitsMaximumSecrets) has just finished the series! –round of applause- Anyway, hope you enjoy. ^_^**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 22: Debate : it's never easy :**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 20th, xxxx.

Cassi Orio and her three sisters (23, 24, 35, 35), all members of a reasonably well-known group of thieves, die fleeing police and a murder charge.

Causes of death: all heart attacks.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It's getting worse.

The voice in her head-make that _voices_, plural, actually. There seem to be more and more of them, all screaming, begging to be heard; all battling for dominance in a painful and bloodless miniature war inside her mind.

It makes her want to cry at times; at others makes her want to scream, more evidence of a temper that is only surfacing thanks to aforementioned battle. The voices are born of her own mind, her own thoughts and misgivings, so you would think she'd have _some _amount of control over them.

But no. They run her. Run her ragged. They slip closer to owning her, controlling her completely.

There is the tenacious voice-the small, persistent cry that returns no matter how often it is stomped on, crushed and killed by its louder neighbors. It is the tiny but effective cry for humanity, for mercy, for an end to the killing. She perceives it (forcibly) as a tone of temptation, leading her to stray from God's path, and tries to ignore it.

There are the screams-the voices screeching so loudly they can scarcely be classified as human voices anymore. At times they seem to exist solely to cause her mental pain and confusion; at other, more forlorn times they almost seem to provide a note of reason, when the cries quiet to a roar dull enough for her to decipher. But the words she decodes never bring easy comfort, and as she pushes them away the screams triple in volume.

Then there is, at the front and center (despite attempts by other viewpoints to shove it out of the way; no, it has grown too powerful for that), the voice of temptation and deception, the voice of treason and betrayal. The voice that pushed her-still pushes her-to kill, using the weapon it can exploit most easily in this blindly believing girl: _faith_. A wolf in sheep's clothing (as put innocently), shoving her towards uncertainty and possible ruin while disguising itself as compassion and loyalty, and a sense of _doing the right thing_.

It will lead her to the cliff's edge. And then, depending on her situation, it may very well push her over, without remorse or feeling.

Her _own mind_ is driving her to this; this paranoia and overthinking, these feelings of nervousness and anger and gut-wrenching, sickening guilt.

Perhaps she knows this.

There is an equal possibility that she does not.

But no matter. All she knows right now, center stage in her head, is the freshest and most pressing battle in her ever-ongoing silent war: the issue of Kuroyami Anata.

The 'debaters' are divided several ways.

Part of her says that Anata is, unfortunately, a valid threat to her ultimate goal-a safe, beautiful, and peaceful world-and must be destroyed. If she gets him out of the way, she can greatly reduce her opposition, since Anata seems not to care how risky his moves are if they gain him new anti-Kira supporters. The problem with this reckless method is that it's actually working, making Anata a relatively large obstacle in her way.

Part of her is in agony over the first option and opposes it vehemently, insisting that one highschooler cannot possibly be that big a danger, and nobody will listen to him. But both these arguments have been violently shot down-Anata is good at getting attention, and people _are_ listening to him. This makes him a much bigger danger than she would prefer to believe. This voice has been reduced to buying time for Anata, placating and feeding the first option with compromises and promises of later death, all the while praying that the boy stops before drastic steps must be taken.

Part of her, the part of her that she sort of feels was stabbed in the heart on June 12th and has been slowly bleeding to death ever since, whispers miserably that killing _anyone_-especially an innocent boy-is wrong, and she should stop everything while she still has a chance to put her life back together.

It whimpers the simple, oft-asked question: _Why did you get yourself into this mess?_

But with the help of what _did_ get her into this mess, and she believes will get her through it-faith-she shoves the questions away and does her God-given duty, lowers her pen once more.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It's getting worse.

Anata's stunt has appeared to in no way faze Kira. Sure, he has some supporters in the commentors on Youtube, but that won't do much good. Anyone can say whatever they want online about their beliefs or opinions, but following words through with actual action in the real world is another matter entirely.

Then again, he's not sure what he expected to be different. Did he really think that his speech would intimidate Kira? Please. The killings continue, multiple people die every day; this sickeningly methodical murderer obviously isn't going to quit anytime soon.

_Kira evidently doesn't see me as a threat_, he reflects with some annoyance. _So how do I remedy that? How does one guy get the attention of an enigmatic mass-murderer killing people on a worldwide scale?_

It doesn't help that Kira is gaining attention from _everyone_, and rapidly. News channels are constantly scrambling to get people the news of the newest dead criminals; Sakura TV's ratings have skyrocketed (he can't help but wonder how much he had to do with that); and yet again the world seems to be inching toward Kira. More willingly than the first time-maybe since they've seen a world _with_ Kira and a world without, and too many prefer the former?

_Which is insane,_ he muses irritably. _Kira kills anyone who gets in his way, innocent or not. Are people really so desperate for peace that they're willing to offer up their own freedom for it? Or are they just too cowardly to oppose him? Better yet, what about both? _Neither option is appealing, but they're probably true.

_So, what are the facts?_ he thinks, attempting to organize his thoughts somehow. _Fact: I have a few supporters. Fact: Kira has more. Fact:..Using this 'fact' system is annoying._

_Okay, but think. Seriously. What can I do? I tried flyers..those don't seem to be working. I tried notes, and all it got me was a bruised arm from one of those jerks in Social Studies. I tried getting on TV..well, that one might've worked a little, but mostly everyone who saw it just thinks I'm an idiot now. And the surveys show that most people in my school are staying neutral. _

_It isn't __**enough**__. I have to do something drastic, or I'll never win this._

_Soo, let's think. _

_What's more drastic than getting on TV?_

_**Is**__ there anything more drastic than getting on TV…?_

…_.I am royally screwed._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It's getting worse.

Young people might be staying neutral, but the boy usually known as Michael has the feeling that the adults-the ones who, sadly, do run the world-won't be so impartial.

_Will another task force be organized? Or will police be too afraid to volunteer for such a thing? _

_More importantly, will Kira even be opposed at all?_

_Or will he just walk right into the middle of a struggling world and be permitted to take over without a fight? Are people really that desperate?_

_Peace in fear is worthless. But if Kira gains many supporters, it will be proof that humanity considers a scared peace to be worth their freedom._

_If that's true, then we really are disgusting._

_Obviously, this is going to be an uphill battle. Many adults living today have tasted the 'purity' that life under Kira's rule brings, and prefer it to the taste of apprehension and distrust that lingers everywhere without him._

(Such a taste may very well be the taste of human nature itself, but of course no human wants to accept that.)

On top of that, there's the newest issue with Kay.

He shudders at the memory.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

-Three Hours Earlier-

"_I have had enough."_

_He ignored her at first, thinking it just another one of her empty rants._

_But no. "I'm sick of being bored," she announced. "I'm sick of waiting for you to wake up and do something. I'm sick of watching you sit there at your computer, analyzing every little thing to death, while this so-called 'Kira' continues to get the best of you. You're so __**boring**__, boy! And I __**loathe**__ being bored."_

_He heard some slyness in her voice. A silent warning. He turned to look at her, trying not to seem worried. She continued to speak._

"_So, I have decided to make things a little more interesting. You catch Kira before the year is up. That is, by January 1__st__, xxxx. That gives you six months to capture this him or her. If you don't..a certain Katherine Jeevas will suffer for it."_

_He froze. _

"_You-you don't even have a Death Note in your possession," he responded. "And if you kill a human without using the Death Note, you'll suffer Extreme Level agony and die. It's in the rules. You have nothing on me or my mother, Shinigami, so don't pretend you do."_

_She silently cursed herself for explaining the rules of the Death Note to the boy. But she still had the advantage-she always would, because as an actual Shinigami, she knew things-or could at least pretend to know things-that the boy never could. And even if she was only bluffing, she doubted he'd take the risk of calling her bluff._

"_Your arrogance is truly beginning to strain my nerves,-" And then she snarled his real name with vehemence, to remind him just how thin a thread his life hung on._

_Satisfied at how shaken he looked upon hearing his true name spoken, she continued. "I have all the power in this situation. I could kill this 'Kira' at any time, just as I could kill __**you**__ at any time-snuff out your pathetic little flickering candle flame of a life. Yet you always appear to forget just __**who **__is in control between us."_

_She leaned forward, perverse enjoyment laced in her words. "So perhaps this little deal involving your mother's life will remind you."_

_Then she was gone temporarily, leaving behind a red-haired boy who felt like a small child once again._

_Scared and isolated._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

So he has to move quickly.

_But this is a delicate situation._

But if he doesn't, his mother will die.

_But if I move too fast, the whole thing will come crashing down._

The debate is painful.

And he hates himself for not being able to choose an answer.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXIII of the Church of Kira:**

**We cannot possibly aspire to become exactly like Kira;**

**merely to think that such a thing is possible is an insult to Him.**

**But we can strive to be exactly like the ideal human-**

**use your head, because Kira will give you helpful thoughts;**

**use your heart, because He will put love and Light in it,**

**if you dig deep enough.-**

**A/N: I think the Alerts for this story aren't working. –glares at Alert button- Accursed thing..**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A review would be more appreciated than you will ever know, but of course, feel no obligation. -SS**


	24. Chapter 23: Staring at the V key

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. At all. Whatsoever. 

**A/N: Thanks so much to kirasuporter1993, ShinigamiKittens and Moonshine 369 for reviewing!!**

**(Btw, want to know how pitiful yours truly is? See the chapter title? This chapter is called 'Staring at the V key' because that is what I was doing at the moment while praying for inspiration. How sad. XD)**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 23: Staring at the V key**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 21st, xxxx.

Jason Alcco, 23, dies while being held on a murder charge.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_So evidently Kira has smartened up. _

_Either that, or he's just run out of criminals to kill in Japan. Which I doubt, so it must be the former._

_**Unless**__ he's merely trying to spread out the killing, getting rid of as many major criminals as possible, regardless of where they are._

_That last option sounds sort of like the reasoning of a religious fanatic, doesn't it? Fry the big fish first, no matter where they are, to reduce opposition and greater publicize their power? Or 'Kira's'..power.._

Abruptly, he flings the clay he was kneading nervously into the wall, where it hits with a _splat_.

_That's going to stain._

As if he cares. As if he cares about one god-cursed thing.

_**Curse**__ Kay._ Thanks to the Shinigami's threat, the time limit she's imposed on the whole game, Michael has been constantly on the verge of panic. He knows his mother, the only one he has left, will die if he doesn't wrap this case up in six months. This knowledge is making him second-guess himself more often; run through every single possibility to ensure he isn't missing anything, without his usually decent judgment.

This is all the more stressful when he knows that the original case, worked on by geniuses and prodigies and men with connections and official detectives and experts on every subject, took six _years_ to solve.

He's a fifteen-year-old boy, a highschooler, with no connections and no experience. He has no allies that are of any help, and on top of it all he has half a year to solve the case or his mother will be killed.

It's a nightmare.

A madhouse.

He's forcing himself to reconsider the possibility that he once brushed off without bothering to really look into it; although he initially refused to wonder what his reasons for doing so might have been. The notion, brought up ever so casually by Kay, that Lina Hikari might be this new Kira.

The blunt and simple logic may fit well enough-she's old enough, a loyal Kira worshipper-but it's not nearly enough to merit a 'case closed'. What a joke. There are many members of the Church of Kira in the world-a minority group, but still-and fifteen is barely making the cut for the willpower to continue this kind of methodical slaughter. Frankly, he doubts it. He _wants_ to doubt it.

All things considered, odd and anti-social as they both may be, the fact of the matter is that Lina is his friend. It's a strange friendship, but it is one all the same. And that's not something either of them are willing to lose, he'd bet.

Unfortunately, he can't afford to pick and choose his suspects. Especially not now.

The choice between mother and friend is a horrible one. Which is probably why he didn't want to involve Lina in this mess at first.

But with more lives on the line, more danger close to home, he feels he doesn't really have much of a choice.

With an irritated sigh, he resigns himself to opening the question back up:

_What does Lina Hikari have to do with this Kira Case…?_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_A black place-no, darker than black; and immense, so endless, so empty._

_Scared. Alone. _

_But there is some sense of comfort. Someone is waiting. Somewhere in this darkness, there is light. _

_Light._

_Wandering. Unfeeling. Too dead to be cold. Or too cold to be dead. Most likely the former._

_Souls, bodies, coming from nowhere, pouncing; she runs in slow motion toward an invisible cross. _

_Golden light, blinding her. She cannot see-_

_can not __**see**__-_

_There, the one, the waiting one, or was she the one waiting-? Doesn't matter; the light engulfs her, she is ecstatic-_

_But something is wrong; tainted, a lie, a streak of dark ruining everything; it all comes crashing down around her, shattering, making her bleed._

_Blood is on her face-or maybe it's tears-and it doesn't matter because the light is gone, the false promise, and the darkness and death has returned to end everything-_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Ah-!"

She is awake, sweating and terrified.

But why is she scared..?

Her head swivels slowly to the side, to fall upon the corner desk. A desk with a drawer that holds within it a great, terrifying power.

She isn't sure why she is so swiftly drawn to the notebook after waking.

She doesn't remember anything; only that she had some sort of nightmare.

And her nighttime memories are fading so quickly that she isn't even sure if it _was_ a nightmare anymore.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

There's not enough _time_.

He wishes he could remember the last time he wrote a name, how much life he got from it, but he can't. He grows steadily more agitated, unable to know how much time he has left.

He doesn't exactly look forward to returning to the Shinigami realm; an eternity of monotony would be enough to drive any human mad. But that has to be better than dying just because he accidentally dropped his Death Note.

Humans are all equal in death, all just wandering souls, existing aimlessly in the Nothingness known as MU.

But Gods of Death are different.

Gods of Death don't die, unless they neglect to do their one duty and write names every so often. (There are other loopholes, but none that Sidoh is aware of.) Humans, in contrast, do not have a Shinigami's possibility of 'forever'. They do not have a choice or a chance to live beyond the typical lifespan, a mere blink in the deathless eyes of gods.

This separates Shinigami from humans in a crucial way. Death Gods are _not_ equal to humans, and vice versa. They know so much of death, whereas mortals do not; so for a Shinigami to enter the same Afterrealm as a human would be unfair. A violation of unwritten and unspoken rules.

_Rules, rules, always the rules.._

Such musings are pointless, of course. The true issue on his hands is blunt and straightforward: he does not know how much life he has remaining, and the tool that would certainly extend whatever life he has lies in the quivering hands of a pale, scared human girl.

How humiliating it would be.

For he, Sidoh, a Death God, to die before a mortal.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_A rally. Hmm._

The idea has been floating lazily about Anata's head as of late, a product of scarce options and slight desperation.

It would take plenty of planning, publicity, hard work and luck for the payoff to be worth it, but he's running low on options. In fact, he's almost exhausted his options. And Kira's influence in the world is growing much more quickly than his own.

Even what he originally thought his greatest triumph, the success of his endeavor to get on TV, seems to have backfired. The chaos that ensued in the aftermath of his stunt on Sakura TV called a lot of attention to the station, and consequentially, its programs.

Anata now realizes he might've been sued for his on-air antics, but the ratings boost they received as a result of the whole thing hardly made them want to track him down. The STV higher-ups had managed to brush all of his hard work off as mere teenage troublemaking, not to be taken seriously. He's not sure how many allies he gained, and/or kept, after it was all over.

_But anyway._ He returns to his rapidly formulating plans for the rally.

He's reasonably sure he could convince some small local television station to cover the event. He could publicize the whole thing as a "Pro-Kira vs. Anti-Kira" debate or something; that'd be bound to attract people looking for an argument.

_Or a fight,_ warns a small piece of his mind, but he ignores it.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXIV of the Church of Kira:**

**Pray at least twice a day;**

**keep your soul pure by doing so.**

**Show Lord Kira what He means to you.**

**Show Him that you love Him.-**

**A/N: … -grabs Matt plushie and uses it as a shield- Please don't shoot me..although you probably really want to by now. **

**I know it's been forever and a day since I last updated. I am so, so sorry. For the longest time, I just had no clue where to take the story. I've been wrestling with writer's block for almost two weeks, and have at last managed to get this chapter together. The ending of it may or may not have stunk; that's up to you. -.-;**

**(Actually, I finished this chapter the other day, but couldn't post it because the login function was –censored- not working ALL –censored- DAY LONG!!! And –censored- then some!!)**

**Sorry, again. I hope you can forgive my continual lack of updates.**

**Reviews are my day's highlight. But feel no obligation. –SS**


	25. Chapter 24: The Beholder's Eyes

Disclaimer: Out of boredom, and defying all logic, I'm asking Matt to do my disclaimer.

Matt: -immersed in game-

Me:… Umm…go ahead..

Matt: Mm…hm…?

Me: .. -sigh- Okay, maybe next time, then. I don't own Death Note.

**A/N: Thank you ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 24: The Beholder's Eyes**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

To: ABF2010

From: antikira

Date: June 22nd xxxx

Subject: FYI

_Yo ABF:_

_So you won't fly off the handle once it happens, I'm giving you a heads-up on my latest 'scheme'. I'm thinking of putting together a rally, a debate between Kira supporters and opposers (if that's even a word)._

_I can probably get some decent publicity for it, too. Not bad, huh?_

_Q: have you ever heard of someone named Michael Karson?_

_See you around (or not..)._

_-A._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 22nd, xxxx.

Harlequin Birthday, 20, convicted last year of a series of very violent murders, dies in prison.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Everybody likes to muse.

Three highschoolers do so at the moment. By an interesting coincidence, they are all currently musing over the same basic subject: human nature.

Michael Karson considers humans complicated. For every 'good' or 'decent' person, there is a 'bad' person. He puts mental air quotes around such labels as 'good' and 'bad' because he finds them strangely misleading.

Who decides what is right and wrong, good or bad? Who defines such seemingly simple ideas?

He believes that we, humans, make our own definitions of right and wrong, and follow those principals according to society and our own senses of justice and such variables. But since humans are imperfect, he believes, so are our views of good and bad.

So Michael sees human nature as a puzzle, a knot, twisted countless times into an unidentifiable shape. One that will never be untangled.

Kuroyami Anata considers humans pretentious. Every so-called evil thing that is done, some other human punishes with the idea that they are better. Higher up.

He believes that we destroy in the name of progress, that we can bend, twist, and falsely justify whatever horrors we commit while those below cry. That we cower before a peace-promising dictator disguised as God, we are so desperate for peace or life itself that we let the dictator fool us. We allow ourselves to be blinded in the name of avoiding conflict.

He sees us all as deluded, if not in one way, then in another.

Lina Hikari considers humans misguided. She believes that we are easy enough to purify; we just need the proper help.

She thinks that we are like small children, made of selfish desires and not knowing any better. We want and destruct, but it is partly the fault of bad leader ship, she thinks. She thinks we will do whatever we are told, and that hopefully this can be used to humanity's advantage with her own plans.

She believes that we are fundamentally good, we just don't know how to break free from that instinctive selfishness.

She sees us all as confused, and she believes that it is her duty to help show us the right way.

The "right" way.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"What are you afraid of, Michael-kun?"

An odd question, but he still answers. He doesn't ask why.

"Blood and peanut butter. Among other things."

An even odder answer, but she accepts it. She doesn't ask why.

"What about you, Lina-san?"

Not too odd. Retaliation. So she answers without asking why.

"..Heights. Unnaturally big bugs with too many legs. Giant dogs."

Not too unexpected. So he doesn't dig deeper.

"..What do you think of Kira, Michael-kun, if you don't mind my asking?"

If he _did _mind her asking, it would already be too late, wouldn't it? But he keeps that to himself, and instead asks why.

"Why do you want to know?"

A reasonable question, considering what an issue Kira has once again become. She has an easily accessible lie at hand.

"Just curious. Everyone is talking about Him these days, and I wondered what you thought."

Curiosity is a perfectly normal excuse. His paranoia says that therefore, it could easily be a lie..

"I'm sorry, but I'd rather not discuss..Kira."

He gives no reasons, and for appearance's sake she doesn't ask why. He has given very little away, though, which frustrates her and undermines her point in even starting this conversation.

"Yes..I suppose it is a personal question. I'm sorry."

She's backing off. _Well, what other choice does she have?_ She could very well just have been curious… _You have to get to the bottom of this! Think!_

"It's all right. _I_ know _your_ opinion, after all."

What is she supposed of make of that? Of course he knows-almost everyone does. So why is that relevant?

"I suppose so. I haven't exactly made it any secret."

A light laugh. Possibly fake. Fake laughter is an excellent acting tool. Make him open up, smile (he never smiles), trust, tell. Very well thought-out, and it angers him for no apparent reason.

"No..no you haven't."

Why does he leave it at that? _Is he turning on me just like everyone else? Just because I worship a different God than they do-and mine happens to be real?_ Her irritation is undoubtedly unnecessary, and she forces it down.

"I…I don't want you to think badly of me, Michael-kun. I may be loyal to Kira-sama and His judgment, but I do not support murder. They are different things."

Her voice has quieted, like that of a kicked kitten crawling back to its owner in the hope of forgiveness. Still that tone of reverence in reference to Kira, but for once an excuse. She evidently feels the need to clarify her supposed difference between what Kira does and murder-as if she is having doubts about that difference herself.

In a tone even quieter than hers, "I don't think badly of you, Lina-san."

There is silence, as they both ponder the extent of the lie in that sentence.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

From: ABF2010 

To: antikira 

Date: June 22nd xxxx

Subject: RE: FYI

_Kuroyami-san,_

_**DON'T DO IT.**_

_Regards,_

_ABF2010._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Well._ An angry half-smirk.

At least the e-mail cleared some things up.

One: 'ABF' is apparently under the delusion that he can control Anata. _Pff. Please. Where does he get off telling me what to do?! I'm sick of that controlling freak who can't even sit right!_

Yes, that is the other thing. Between the survey, the guesses, ABF's lack of mention of Anata's question, and the fact that 'ABF' somehow knows Anata's last name, he's figured it out.

_ABF2010, huh? More like Michael Karson, I'd say.._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

To: antikira

From: ChessAlice

Date: June 22nd xxxx

Subject: RE: Rally

_Hey Anata-kun,_

_Sounds great. Count me in, k?_

_See you soon._

_~Karin_

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXV of the Church of Kira:**

**Obedience.**

**That is the key.**

**Behave according to Kira's Laws;**

**the rules of your parents, for they know His laws best after He Himself;**

**by doing so, live a complete life knowing that He will welcome you after death.-**

**A/N: YOSH!!! Two chapters in one week…some kinda record for me, no? XD (Trying to get 'em out in time for the weekend, M.-san!!)**

**Hope you enjoyed!! A review would be wonderful…but feel no obligation. If I don't update before Monday, have a great weekend! -SS**


	26. Chapter 25: Impending: true sacrifice

Disclaimer: Okay…Matt-san?

Matt: -still immersed in game-

Me:…Helloo…yo, could you please do my disclaimer? You've been playing that same game for about 24 hours straight now..don't your eyes hurt?!

Matt:…

Me: -twitch- Fine. Next time, then..I guess. I do not own Death Note!!!

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Moony on Hiatus/STDpayphone hangin off my face/Moonzers/Moonshine 369 (you keep changing your name XD) for reviewing and being SO DANG AWESOME!!! XD Hope you enjoy!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 25: Impending: true sacrifice**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

From: antikira

To: ABF2010

Date: June 23rd xxxx

Subject: RE: FYI

_Yo, Michael-_

_SCREW YOU._

_Regards,_

_A._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 23rd, xxxx.

Pheryll Quin, 52, recently retired gang leader, dies while preparing to move/escape to America.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Irritation. It's something relatively new.

She hates it.

What she wanted was simple enough. Straightforward. And yet she was denied.

The job she has been given is enormous. Insanely giant, looming like a dark shadow.

She needs an accomplice. Which sounds criminal, so she hastily changes it to 'assistant'. 'Partner', maybe. Someone to help her. Because she is getting stretched very, very thin. Dangerously thin. Everyone in the world feels like they are out to get her. The paranoia is also a source of annoyance to her.

So she decided to interview Michael, her sole friend in a sea of adversaries. He has a strong sense of justice (from what she can tell, at least; it's not like he would ever say anything about himself without being tortured into it..); surely he, of all people, can see the light and understand how good Kira will be for the world.

But he dodged the question-dodged it well, too; avoiding giving away his position explicitly, although his refusal to give a straight answer more or less was an answer in itself.

So what is she going to do? Who else can she ask-indeed; _is_ there anyone else she can ask? Who else can be trusted with so monumental a task?

If she was paying attention, she would no doubt notice how close those thoughts come to arrogance.

She is not paying attention, or perhaps she merely does not notice.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

The local newspaper is small and isn't read that much, so Anata decides not to waste his time trying to figure out how the heck he gets an article submitted. Well, maybe more of an _ad_.

He opts instead for '_Cream and Sugar_.' It's one of those little weekly papers you find in coffee shops and small restaurants, the kind with a 'Find the [insert-paper's-mascot-here] and Get 100 Dollars!', Sudoku, a crossword, and horoscopes. The kind everyone picks up as they sit down to eat or drink, either out of boredom or because they simply enjoy reading false fortunes and trivia on some obscure band from the 50s.

He will gladly exploit that slightly pitiful tendency of the human nature.

Luckily, _C&S_ is straightforward: in one of the small squares that frame the articles (usually something about a new coat of paint on some historical building or the finding of a missing cat) blares:

_**SEE YOUR AD HERE!**_

_**Advertise to hundreds of people-easier than handing out business cards!**_

_**Just call:**_

And then there is a phone number. Easy.

He calls the number. A falsely cheerful female voice on the other line gives him an address to mail a copy of his ad to, and tells him that _Cream and Sugar_ will keep his ad in place for one week, until the next issue is printed. If he wants to keep his ad in, he'll have to call again and pay for another week.

He listens without comment, and hangs up as quickly as possible in order to go home and hunt down an envelope and perhaps a stamp. He doubts he'll find either. He can't remember the last time any mail went out from the Kuroyami residence, much less came in-even the bills with the little plastic windows on their envelopes almost seemed to keep their distance.

But none of that matters. He's going to mail that ad if he has to seal the envelope with his own blood.

Maybe, if he thought about it all, he'd find it strange that his whole part in this crusade was triggered by the death of a man he hardly cared about.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

To: ChessAlice

From: antikira

Date: June 23rd xxxx

Subject: RE: Rally

_Thanks loads, Karin._

_I placed an ad; it'll stay put for a week._

_The date's set for June 30__th__; I'll get you more info as soon as I have it._

_Hope you can make it._

_-A._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It is an unpleasant thing to feel, even for a moment, that you hate your own flesh and blood.

Your own uncle, more specifically.

Which is exactly how Michael feels at the moment, along with guilty for feeling the former.

_But anyone would be irritated, to say the least,_ he reasons with himself. _After all, he did plant a virus that just crashed my entire system and most likely erased every file I've got.._

_Of course, it was a smart thing to do..fantastic security, top protection from hackers..it's not like he knew that the hacker would end up being his own nephew…_

He's not even sure what he'll find when and if he manages to hack his uncle's system. But he's grasping at straws; there _has_ to be _something_.

For the moment, all he has are baseless (?) accusations and hunches. And pieces of information from an original case long dead, which probably won't help to catch a copycat perpetrator.

The threat of his mother's death hanging over his head still isn't helping matters, but he's trying hard to keep a cool head and more or less succeeding.

_More or less._

His computer finally boots up again, seeming relatively healthy. He checks his e-mail and sighs, seeing Anata's angry message.

_He figured out who I was, too…smart. _

_Or not. Could be either. I guess I wasn't paying too much attention to the issue of identity. Stupid. I deserved to be caught, was, and..well, that's that._

But back to immediate point.

_I suppose it was a bit..presumptuous of me to presume to give him orders._

(He's not really sure if the message he sent was intended as an order or a warning, but does it matter?)

_I should've known from his attitude and background that he'd resent being 'pushed around'. I should have worded it better, or something. My reply was short..like I wasn't even paying him much attention. That would be annoying to anyone._

(Somewhere, a piece of his mind resentfully mutters that Anata wouldn't have listened even if Michael had phrased it kindly, but does it matter?)

_I pushed too hard. I was too apathetic. Somehow, somewhere, I went wrong. _

He had pushed at the fragile, delicate 'trust' they had achieved until it broke into pieces. And those pieces now lay at his feet, a laughing, sparkling reminder of his mistake, what is lost and may or may not be regained.

Their shared passion for taking down Kira formed a partnership of sorts between them, and that equality (more or less) gave Michael rights to share his opinions and warnings, and vice versa. Unfortunately, Michael tried to stretch his rights too far, and as a result he has lost all privileges gained during their brief partnership.

_Long story short: he's angry with me, and therefore he will not listen to me._

Which is a problem, considering the fact that the redhead's warning may very well be the most important advice Anata ever received.

_So I have to make him listen somehow, before he does something else stupid and finally gets himself killed._

Some treacherous voice in the back of his head, the all too human hiss of doubt, questions whether it's worth all the trouble to try and save one unhelpful, impulsive teenage boy.

_Does it matter?_

_His life?_

_Does it, __**really**__?_

There is no incriminating hesitation, no hint of what made the original Kira _Kira_, no apathetic logic.

_Yes, it does._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It's her father who enjoys the eccentric little newspapers found in cafes, not her mother. Masoi Hikari takes pleasure in bringing the things home and poring over them with a smile on his face.

Lina doesn't usually read them, but one ad at the front of _Cream and Sugar_ catches her eye, and for excellent reason.

Reading the ad, her face remains bland and impassive.

But beneath a deceptive surface, a storm brews, screaming and roaring and calling for death. Battering the already tattered remains of her patience.

She does not feel herself changing.

At this moment, she feels only cold anger.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXVI of the Church of Kira:**

**People who are**

**lazy,**

**criminal,**

**angry**

**evil**

**are no use to society or to Kira.**

**Help them, or stay away,**

**but do not be corrupted by the sleek temptation of the dark.**

**Do not allow yourself to be dirtied by such petty things as anger or hate.-**


	27. Chapter 26: OTB : face to face remorse

Disclaimer:..I've given up on Matt. -.-' I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE!!! Also, the rights to Alvis de Algo and his entire situation belong solely to DeathFruitsMaximumSecrets. Who was spazzing while she came up with it. –twitch-

**A/N: Thanks to ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!! Also to Serinata; thank you for Alerting!**

**Lord, you must be so sick of hearing my apologies for late updating…My computer has been essentially DEAD for days now (I won't go into the irritating details), so I couldn't work on ANL. So, so sorry you keep having to wait…**

**One more thing: OTB stands for "Over-the-board". "A game is said to be played over-the-board if opponents play the game face-to-face as opposed to online chess or correspondence chess." (Thank you, Wiki!)**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 26: OTB : face to face remorse **

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 24th, xxxx.

Mychelle Carolin, 20, thief quickly climbing to the notorious level, dies in the middle of another heist.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

From: ChessAlice

To: antikira

Date: June 24th xxxx

Subject: Spreading the word

_Hey Anata-kun,_

_I'm still on for the 30th, and I'm trying to spread the word._

_Can't afford a newspaper ad :(_

_But I'm putting up (anonymous) flyers around my neighborhood-had 2 ask my dad for money to afford all the copies! –sweatdrop-_

_Well, I'll see you soon!_

_~Karin_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 25th, xxxx.

Jason M. Conner, 32, planter of a series of extremely troublesome viruses in 2000, dies just before his scheduled trial. His five partners in crime also die in various stages of running from authorities.

Causes of death: all heart attacks.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

From: antikira

To: ChessAlice

Date: June 25th xxxx

Subject: RE: Spreading the word

_Flyers, huh? That brings back memories.._

_Anyway, sounds great. I really appreciate all your help with this._

_See you around._

_-A._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 26th, xxxx.

Alvis de Algo, 38, arrested on charges of assistance to murder but acquitted, dies while pole vaulting.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

From: ABF2010

To: antikira

Date: June 26th xxxx

Subject: PLEASE READ THIS

_Anata-san, please listen to me. I'm sorry I pushed you too hard, but you have got to pay attention, just this one time._

_Please DO NOT go through with the rally! It isn't worth it-you've already called so much attention to yourself; if you keep it up, Kira WILL kill you._

_Don't get yourself killed. __**Please call the whole thing off!**_

_-M_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Karson."

Intensity fills the older boy's voice as he glares at the redhead. Michael meets Anata's eyes apprehensively.

_..This can't possibly end well._

"I'm going to make this clear," Anata says quietly. "Stay out. Of my. Freaking. _Face_. Do you hear me?!"

There is silence as Michael tries to decide if this is better or worse than being ignored entirely. He decides that it's better-anger is, at least, acknowledgement.

_And if someone wastes emotion on you, then that means they care what you have to say. Of course, 'care' is a loose term-it could just mean they hate it. Hate is a form of caring. Caring is not necessarily good._

He's pretty sure he read that in a book somewhere.

"I'm not sure how to respond to that, Kuroyami-kun," Michael states truthfully. "If anything, _you_ are the one getting in _my_ face."

He realizes his mistake even before the words have fully left his mouth.

_Moron,_ he mentally berates himself.

_In times like these, you want to say as little as possible, and what you do say should be polite and calm. Not accusatory or angry or anything. Don't point out mistakes of any kind, don't try and defend yourself or your position; just take it and try to speak rationally once the venting process is complete._

Another book excerpt, undoubtedly.

Not that it will help him now. Thanks to the phenomenal power of the brain, Anata has already heard and processed Michael's reckless observation. He scowls.

"I…That's not…Agh, quit screwing me up already!" he exclaims. "You know what I mean! The-" He lowers his voice. "The e-mails. Quit trying to talk me out of it, will you? It's not going to work; all you're doing is grating on my nerves when I have enough to worry about already!"

"It will be worrisome for _everyone_, yourself included, if you die," Michael persists, having found himself incapable of letting the matter drop.

"I am _not_ going to die," Anata growls with an air of finality and somewhat foolish stubbornness.

(Not confidence. _Stubbornness_. Both can be foolish in themselves.)

"You-we-are dealing with a murderer here." Michael points out the obvious in a quiet, deadly serious tone. "He or she is, more likely than not, ruthless, uncaring, and in possession of little to no conscience. This Kira has no qualms about killing anyone in the way. Do you understand what you're risking?"

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Do you understand what __**you're**__ risking, talking like this out in the open?_

A rational question to bury her anger. She feels betrayed, having overheard the conversation by being at the neighboring lunch table.

_Michael. Michael. Of everyone…you oppose Kira, you are fighting Kira? You are fighting __**me**__?_

Her only friend. Her best friend. A traitor. A dilemma.

His calm view of Kira-of _her_, in this case-hurts the worst.

_Ruthless,_ he said.

_I kill only those who deserve it, no more! I fight them for a perfect world in which you and everyone good may live! I kill evil in the name of utopia-what is it about that that is so wrong in your eyes?!_

_Uncaring_, he said.

_He can't know how much I feel myself dying inside, how much pain killing even evil puts me in. He can't know how agonizing it is, to be an administrator of justice with no one at your side. To take life, and carry that fact with you, forever. He can never understand that._

_No conscience_, he said.

_What an ignorant fool,_ she thinks with surprising vehemence.

_My conscience is something I almost wish I didn't have! My conscience screams at me whenever I write a name in the Death Note, it claws at me when I try to push it away, it prevents me from doing what has to be done! Anata lives now, mainly because I can't bring myself to eliminate him! _

She _has_ a conscience. And a soul. She is human, no matter what divine rights she may be blessed with.

She is no Shinigami, able to kill without so much as blinking.

She is a teenage human girl, inexperienced and alone, and slowly digging her own grave.

..Or is she?

If one thinks about it, everyone involved in this latest battle is risking everything, if one counts one's life as _everything_.

The initial jump into battle was the equivalent of grabbing a shovel and digging it into the dirt.

Lina, Michael, Anata, Karin, others-they have all been digging their graves from the start.

A precaution, because each of them _knows_ inside that they cannot all possibly survive.

The prominent question remaining, among others, is which graves will be filled and which will remain empty, when it is all over.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXVII of the Church of Kira:**

**What must be done, must be done.**

**Death is merely an extension on the path of Life;**

**Justice is worth fighting and suffering for.**

**The means are justifiable, if the end result is truly worthwhile.-**

**A/N: 'Face to face remorse' is actually a line from an awesome song called "I Get It" by Chevelle. I'd give it a listen; it rocks. :)**

**Reviews are even better than pocky cookies, if those even exist! But feel no obligation.**

**Have a great day! -SS**


	28. Chapter 27: Who Do You Think I Am?

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way, shape or form.

**A/N: TYVM ShinigamiKittens for reviewing yet again!!**

**Got another song recommendation for those who care… "Counting Bodies Like Sheep" by A Perfect Circle. Disturbing, yet somehow good. It's a Light-ish song.**

**Anyway, hope you like the chap! ^^**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 27: Who Do You Think I Am?!**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 27th, xxxx.

Andrea May and her husband Anthony Marcus (23, 24), known and respected in their community for opposing Kira during his first reign, die unexpectedly within 12 hours of each other.

Causes of death: Andrea May died of a heart attack. Anthony Marcus died in a car accident.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Guilt.

Nothing new, really.

But at least earlier guilt, though justified, could be excused. She was doing what she considered right for the world, and could therefore had an excuse. Acceptable for her own peace of mind (or what remained of it).

Lina has no excuse this time.

This was murder.

Andrea May had been a lesser-known, but no less evil, thief back before Kira started passing His judgment. Which may have been why she ended up opposing Him anyway. So Andrea's death was judgment. Simple, clean, nothing more or less than justice.

Anthony, however…

After overhearing Michael's unintentional confession of treason, _betrayal_, Lina had been left feeling more isolated than ever before in her life. Hurt and conflicted, she sought solace in power.

Foolishly. Perhaps blindly.

She researched criminals, as she always did just before a killing, and found Andrea. But for some reason, killing the woman wasn't enough.

_It wasn't enough._

Rage and sadness pressed her onward, and she struck out at the next person she laid eyes on. Another Kira-opposer, a justice-hater: an evil, like the boy she had thought her friend.

Anthony died-righteously so?-for the 'crime' of opposing Kira.

It was an impulsive act. And, like many impulsive acts, one she now regretted. With all of her heart and soul.

Question marks: how pure could she possibly be now? How righteous? How worthy? Had she tainted herself beyond forgiveness? Had she destroyed her chance of proving herself to God?

Oh, how she _waited_ to be struck down by some higher power.

Innocence. Innocence.

Something she feels she lost awhile ago. Something she has just destroyed.

_Murdered._

_Am I..Am I…truly what they all think I have become? Am I disgracing everything Kira stands for by turning into the creature I am trying to convince people He is not?_

Justifications utterly fail her.

Others she killed were given a choice. An unspoken chance for life or death, the moment they entered the rotting world.

A choice between good and evil.

Consequently, between life and death.

And those she killed _chose_. Slipped into the dark and let their souls wither like the earth, until she came and took them as an act of mercy, to them and the world itself.

_They chose_ to become dirty and worthless.

What choice did Anthony have?

More specifically: What choice did _she_ give him?

She feels sick. Poised on the edge of a mental breakdown, like when she killed Mashite Sakaru.

It feels like ages and lifetimes ago that she did that.

She kneels next to her bed, turns off the lights, clasps her hands together and prays.

Long and hard, does she pray-plead-_beg_ her God for forgiveness.

And answers. Because..

She can feel it, though she does not acknowledge it.

She can almost hear it, though she denies this fact without even realizing.

She knows it is there.

The unmistakable feeling and sound of _breaking_.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Do you understand what you're risking?_

Their conversation had gone no further than that, seeing as Anata walked away seconds after those words had left Michael's mouth.

Yet still, they bounce around in his head. Echoing loudly:

_Do you understand what you're risking?_

Well, it's a simple enough question on the surface: _does_ he understand?

_Well, duh. Of course I do. I'm risking my life._

Which sounds oversimplified and ridiculously flippant. But still.

_Where does he get off acting so pretentious? Asking me if I know what I'm risking..How couldn't I? Who the does he think he is?! Who the hell does he think __**I**__ am?!_

A waste? A ball and chain? A danger to their shared cause? A liability? A weakness?

The list goes on and on.

And no option seems to answer his question.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Who we are._

_No…more like who we __**become**__._

_That's really the only logical way to phrase it, isn't it? We aren't born a certain way; we learn to be what we'll be through life and the way it teaches us…right?_

_If we look at Kira, for example…For the sake of conversation_ (can it be called conversation when it is taking silent place in his own head?) _let us make the assumption that Kira is male._

_The facts are that he kills criminals, and does so without giving them a trial._

_Unless he considers life itself a trial, or a test which criminals have failed. Is that the same as being convicted for failing at life? What is our definition of 'failure', anyway?..But back to the point._

_Some call him 'God' for striking down evil. _

_Some call him a murderer for killing without asking any other opinions._

_They make of him what they will, and hold that image in their heads. In other words, they create him for themselves. He never speaks, so his motives and everything else are left up to interpretation. _

_So he becomes someone different in every different person's eyes. _

_He 'becomes' a killer or a savior. A murderer or a god._

_What we become is determined mainly by our choices and our world. How we are brought up, how much we allow it to affect us. Our feelings, which are molded by our situations and teachings. We judge. People 'become' who we see them to be._

_But human judgment is flawed by our own flaws. We are not and cannot be perfect; therefore, neither can our perceptions. _

_So really, when you think about it…._

The realization is far from comfortable, but it is what it is.

_..there is no 'right' or 'wrong'._

_I thought about that before, but this is more proof of it, I think. _

_Right, wrong, good, evil…pretty much any adjective or stereotype we use is based on our own perceptions and flawed justifications. So if we apply this theory to the current Kira Case.._

_Well, simply put, nobody has the advantage in this game._

_If there is no true (and what is true, anyway?) good or evil, then there is nothing left but our intent. What we set out to do. That defines us more properly than labels, doesn't it?_

_So either myself and Anata could 'win' this…or Kira could._

_Because it all depends now. It all hangs._

A delicate, precarious balance, snickering as it waits to be disrupted.

_If Kira wins, then he will become justice and God, because that is how others perceive him._

_If his opposers win, then Kira will become another fading memory, seen as a murderer, because that is the viewpoint of those still alive. The public is a fickle entity._

_After all, history books are always written-can __**only**__ be written-by those who win._

Satisfied with this, Michael rolls over and falls asleep.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_All too easy._

…_wait, isn't that a line from a movie?_

She's pretty sure she saw it on TV…but no matter.

It really _was_ all too easy. (Though it had admittedly taken her awhile to remember.)

Before dropping her Death Note, Kinddara had ripped out the pages she had written on. And that was a lot of pages.

_Despite being written on,_ she thinks, leering at the sleeping boy before her, _there is still plenty of room on these pages for a few deaths…wouldn't you agree, boy?_

She laughs, while there is still nobody awake to listen.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXVIII of the Church of Kira:**

**Others will try to sway you from Kira's Path.**

**Do not let them.**

**Temptation and prejudice**

**are merely parts of His**

**Great earthly **

**Test.-**

**A/N: Nothing really to say, except, I hope you liked it!! Reviews are _c'est magnifique_!! **

**-Sky**


	29. Chapter 28: Time Pressure: ticking clock

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. At all. Whatsoever. And I need a better disclaimer.

**A/N: Thanks to Master J633 for Favoriting!! And domo arigato to ShinigamiKittens for reviewing and correcting my French. XD Hope you enjoy!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 28: Time Pressure : ticking clock**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 28th, xxxx.

Carlia Jason, 36, suspected of killing her third husband, dies in prison before her trial is complete. 

Her three children/stepchildren (19, 22, 30), all but convicted of assisting in the murder, die on the same day.

Causes of death: all heart attacks.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

(The quiet Bishop contemplates his opponent's moves.)

_Anthony Marcus._

_Could be a coincidence. On the other hand, might not be._

_Andrea May. Death by cardiac arrest, and not at a late age. A pretty safe bet that she was another one of Kira's victims. She used to be a thief, and she and her husband both opposed Kira. So that makes sense-at least, as much as any of this does._

_Anthony, though..he was Andrea's husband, but other than that, I see no motive for killing him. He was an anti-Kira diehard, but that seems like a petty reason for Kira to strike him down. He wasn't a criminal…unless you count opposing Kira as a crime._

_And that's if he was even a Kira victim at all. Car accidents happen every day; he could have just been another quiet, everyday victim of recklessness._

_That's a pretty substantial coincidence, though. Dying within 12 hours of his wife, when she was almost certainly a Kira victim…?_

_But if Kira __**did**__ kill Anthony, then why make the cause of death a car accident? If Kira is trying to reinstate belief in himself, then why waste a death on a cause that's out of the ordinary for him? _

_Think about it…Kira kills criminals using heart attacks; he-_

_Hold on. Criminals. Anthony had no criminal record. And Kira hasn't been killing people solely for opposing him this time around. So why was Anthony a target? Simply because of his wife? But that doesn't seem very like this Kira either. And in any case, it still doesn't answer the question of why a car accident was used instead of a heart attack.._

Michael stares at his blank computer, dead again by another one of his uncle's traps. He waits for it to reboot, just as he waits for his path of thought to eventually lead him somewhere helpful.

…_Shame?_

The idea is sort of ridiculous. But it can't hurt to explore the option a little, right?

_That is a possibility, albeit a small one…If Anthony had no criminal record, then would Kira feel guilty about destroying him? But that suggestion does leave some gaping holes..Why, for instance, did Kira kill Anthony in the first place? Why would he suddenly start targeting Kira-opposers with no warning?_

_And why or how would a mass-murderer feel guilt about one life lost, anyway? Guilt is an emotion that is so far away from Kira's probable mental profile, it's not even funny. Nobody can kill so many people-in such a short amount of time, too-and all of a sudden feel bad about it. It just doesn't happen._

Trying to prove his personal belief that anything can make sense if thought over sufficiently, he continues to dig through his stores of reason. _There has to be something going on here that nobody knows about…was Anthony killed for some personal reason?_

_Maybe, dare I suggest it…a __**human**__ reason?_

_Kira is obviously not God. That fact is easily apparent to anyone with an ounce of common sense. So the most likely options remaining are a Shinigami (which he finds unlikely for a multitude of reasons), or a human. And humans feel human emotions, just like everyone else around them._

_Say something made this Kira angry. Killing someone would certainly be an effective, though disproportionate, way to vent-at least, until the guilt (if he has any) caught up with him._

_Or maybe if this Kira is a child…a bullied or abused child, insecure and picked on. Alone. Proving to himself that he has his own great power would help increase his self-confidence. _

_But I doubt-wait, no, no; got to keep an open mind. Kira __**could**__ be a young child, of course, but would a child have the mental strength to continue with this…methodical massacre? _

_In my opinion, the youngest this Kira can possibly be would be…fifteen. Fourteen, maybe, but anyone younger than a highschooler…_

He pauses in his thoughts. The thought of such a _young_ sociopath is almost too awful to contemplate.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

(The confident Knight contemplates his plans.)

_Two more days…two more days….two more days…_

He's been repeating those same three words in his head over and over again, all day long. He can't seem to help it.

And in Anata's defense, when one is facing an imminent life-threatening situation, one can imagine it would be a rather difficult thing to put out of one's mind.

But at least he's not alone.

Karin will be at the rally, he knows; and she has been doing all she can to be helpful to Anata and their cause. He truly appreciates her help and support-but he can't say anything like that; it'd just sound stupid.

And _Michael_… Anata is overcome by a pressing desire to snort derisively. Michael may be against Kira, but he isn't even _fighting_. He just sits around in his weird little way, holed up, giving orders and waiting in the dark for others to take the risks for him. _Coward._

The rally is going to commence in two more days. The location is a small local park in Anata's neighborhood that nobody ever visits because…well, frankly, he doesn't live in a very good neighborhood. At least they won't be interrupted.

He'll bring something with which to make a line on the ground, to divide up Pro- and Anti-Kira people. And Karin has promised to bring a wooden box or something to use as a pedestal so that one person can speak their piece at a time.

Oh, and a cell phone (his mother's-she won't even notice it's missing), just in case things get out of hand.

He sees great promise in the upcoming rally. He'll be able to deliver a stirring and mature speech on the evils of Kira, and hopefully gain some new allies.

_And who knows,_ he thinks with a rare grin, _where we can go from there?_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

(The isolated Queen contemplates her next move.)

The killings continue.

Guilt was not enough to stop her. With strength and faith, Lina continues to carry out her duty.

She promised herself she would not falter. And she will not.

But now she has something new to worry about. Opposition that she knew she would eventually face, but is loath to deal with in the way it must be dealt. Even with the loudest voice in her head cheering for the death of the continual thorn in her side: Kuroyami Anata.

Now he is holding a rally. A _debate_, as he puts it. A gathering of those loyal to Kira and those who despise Him. She worries about the following he might gain if this goes well. Even one more soul sacrificed to the dark is far too many. Does Anata not understand he is sending them to their deaths by turning them away from Kira?

She has put this off for far too long already. Is this the time, when she will do what must be done?

Lina knows that she can't put off the inevitable much longer.

_How much more time, how much more mercy can I afford to give him?_

And how much more of this, a soft voice inside asks quietly, can your own soul take?

She pushes it away and turns to her Death Note.

_Don't make me write your name, Anata…_

She almost misses the soft inner voice's next words: No one is making you do anything.

No one but yourself.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

(The Pawn contemplates her fate.)

Karin Asiki moves pieces around her marble chessboard-a birthday gift-almost absentmindedly. White and black, shapes and squares..all melt together, blurring into one big blob as she struggles to pull herself out of her reverie.

_The King_, she thinks, fingering the ornate white piece. _I guess that'd be Kira, then_. She moves it forward a few squares, for no particular reason.

_And…hmm, what else?_ Her gaze drifts to the black side, and she considers for a moment before grinning and moving another piece forward. _The Knight. Anata-kun, definitely. Brave and..unusual._ She giggles without quite understanding why.

_Hmm..who else..? What about that ABF something-or-other guy that Anata-kun used to talk about? I think he'd be the…well, maybe the Rook? Or a Bishop, or maybe even a Pawn…guess it's kind of pointless to try and assign a piece to someone I know nothing about._

_And I'd be a…a…_

She eyes the board thoughtfully for a few long seconds before reaching hesitantly for a Pawn.

_A Pawn. Yeah. That's me, I guess._ She tries not to feel disappointed, because that would just be stupid.

_After all, I haven't come up with any great scheme to rid the world of Kira. I'm just a helper. A Pawn. Heh..yeah, that's the perfect term for me._

She sighs a little before brightening.

_But hey…if I make it all the way across the board, then I can be a different piece, right?_

_Versatile, that's me! Wonder who I'd be if I made it all the way…?_

She leans back in her chair, smiling contentedly.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXIX of the Church of Kira:**

**Not everyone can be admitted to the Golden**

**Land where Kira reigns supreme.**

**In order to maintain balance and Right,**

**sacrifices must be made.**

**The needs of the Righteous, those who keep their loyalty to Kira intact,**

**outweigh, overall, the needs of those who scorn Him**

**and damn themselves.-**

**A/N: It occurs to me now of all times that I've been working on this story now for more than six months. WOW how the time flies.**

**Well, I hope y'all liked it. Have a great weekend and…well, I would loooove a review. Not that you have to or anything. X) -SS**


	30. Chapter 29: It's Not Like

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Please do not sue, hn?

**A/N: Thanks to EmoNaom for reviewing, Favoriting and Alerting!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 29: It's Not Like**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 29th, xxxx.

Melissa Kayl, 21, explosives expert and professional assassin, dies in her home.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Rally. Tomorrow. Rally. Tomorrow._

_What am I going to do?_

Is it too late to get Anata to call the whole thing off?

Probably. Anata still isn't speaking to Michael. In fact, Michael gets the impression that the older boy is attempting to avoid him. No, not attempting-_succeeding_.

Which, obviously, is somewhat problematic.

_June 30__th__._ (He resists the temptation to mentally title it 'Doomsday', because that seems a bit overdramatic.) _Tomorrow. 24 hours-give or take-between now and the time when I may very well lose my sole ally in this whole mess._

_Why is he being so reckless? Doesn't he understand that…_

_..I'm doing it again. Thinking myself superior. Got to stop that._

_Of course he understands what he's risking. Anyone with common sense would realize as much, and Anata __**does**__ have common sense. Despite the fact that he rarely chooses to display it._

_..Why am I stressing out? After all, the best publicity he managed for the rally was a few ads placed in local coffee-shop papers. What are the odds Kira is local?_

What _are_ the odds, indeed?

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"I think we're at a stalemate, Lina-kun. Don't you think?"

Lina looks up at the girl sitting across from her at the chessboard, slightly dazed. It feels like the entire game-which lasted almost twenty minutes-went by in a few lazy seconds, while she drifted in and out of awareness. She wonders if her fingers moved on their own, because she can't imagine she possessed the presence of mind to take the match to a tie.

The only pieces remaining on the board are the Kings. An undeniable stalemate.

"..Lina-kun? Are you okay?"

The redhead attempts to blink out of her half-asleep state. Karin is looking at her with an expression that is a subtle mixture of confusion and concern. Lina almost feels guilty for not really paying attention to the chess match, as if some small code of honor has been breached. After all, Karin has never been frosty or outright nasty to her, which is more than anyone could say for most of the other students.

She forces a smile that she can tell is weak. Unconvincing at best. "Yes, Asiki-kun. Sorry; I haven't been getting much sleep lately."

A line that should be convincing, seeing as it is far from a lie. Between the Death Note and the killings and the Shinigami and every other thing that has twisted her life recently, her dreams have become infected, as if with a virus. Nightmares plague every precious second of her sleep, but by the time morning finally comes, the memories of them have all but disappeared.

She only knows that they are terrifying, for the brief time she remembers them.

So she has started avoiding sleep almost entirely, fearing the nightmares. As nighttime hours pass and exhaustion gives slight way to the paranoia that comes with being in darkness, she begins to fear even the shadows that have been familiar since she first began sleeping without a nightlight.

What a child she has become, frightened stiff of unremembered dreams and hardly questionable shadows.

Karin's expression has shifted to one of sympathy. "I know. The teachers have really been pouring it on lately, huh?" She smiles cheerily. "And you still managed to tie the game, even though you're exhausted! That's pretty impressive, Lina-kun."

"…" _How does she do it? How does she switch from expression to expression, wearing her heart on her sleeve, remaining entirely open?_

_It must take confidence,_ Lina figures. _Or just stupidity. Ignorance that such openness can be-and often is-used against you._

_Maybe that's a key to making friends,_ she thinks. _Maybe all it really takes is just a smile or a look of understanding. Maybe I…_

_Wait._ How on earth did her soliloquy veer down this path?

Friends? _Friends?_ Ridiculous. Unnecessary. She is God's puppet, a proxy of justice.

She does not need friends. She cannot _afford_ friends.

_And what is the point of them, anyway? It's not like any friend could help me with what I'm going through now. And besides, even those whom you call 'friends' can hardly be trusted.._ With a twinge she thinks of Michael.

_So why bother with friends? What can they possibly do to help you?!_

What, indeed?

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Karin has wondered, once or twice, just what draws her to Lina Hikari.

It's not like they have any obligation to be friends-their parents don't know each other; they aren't related at all.

It's not like they act at all alike-Karin likes to think of herself as an open person, maybe too much so for her own good; whereas Lina seems very guarded and quiet.

It's not like they share the same views, to her knowledge, on anything at all-Karin isn't quite sure who or what she believes in, for example; while Lina is completely devoted (some would say obsessed) to her God. Kira.

_Kira._ That's another thing. Karin is against Kira. She would not go so far as to label her feelings as hatred, but she does believe that the world is better off left to its own devices.

Since the day she started at Ohnii High, she saw the grey-eyed girl being tormented for her faith in what many would call a murderer. Lina silently stood her ground, but it seemed a very _lonely_ ground.

There was, of course, the chess club. Karin possesses a very strong competitive streak, and upon hearing that Lina was apparently the best chess player Ohnii had to offer, she immediately decided that her goal was to win a match against the redhead.

Recently she won a match against Lina for the very first time. She took the Queen's crown. But oddly, the victory didn't really matter to her. It hardy even registered.

She knows why, naturally. She's had much more important things on her mind: Kira, Anata's rally/debate, publicity for the thing that he needed her help in getting..

_With the pretense of rivalry being out of the way,_ Karin thinks, her train of thought abruptly switching direction, _maybe we could just be friends. That'd be nice.._

She smiles off into space.

_Friends. Pure and simple._

Sadly, though, things in this world are rarely pure _or_ simple.

…Sad, indeed.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

That night, a black-haired boy half-grins at the clouded moon.

"Tomorrow…"

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXX of the Church of Kira:**

**Fear not for your life;**

**do not blame Him if it is not protected.**

**This body is but a shell for your immortal Soul;**

**this life but the pathway,**

**the road**

**to Kira.-**

**A/N: Has anyone else been getting viruses or similar crap from this site? I have to tell you, it's getting old…**


	31. Chapter 30: I've Paid For Your Mistakes

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way, shape or form; nor do I own any of the characters in it. But the OCs are mine.

**A/N: Thank you ShinigamiKittens for reviewing! Also, **_**arigato gozaimasu**_** to DeathMax-kun for helping me with the rule for this chapter.**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 30: I've Paid for Your Mistakes**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Kill them. __**Kill them**__!_

The names are right in front of her. Waiting for her to send their owners to death.

He pen hovers above the page, in a gloriously agonizing display of hesitation.

_They're..so young..I don't want to-!_

But _that voice_ again..

_They are criminals! They are inhuman!_

Twin brothers. Seventeen years old. Being pursued by the police to be charged with a neighborhood murder.

She's killed young people before. But never _this_ young. And something in her has long since reached its breaking point, choosing to crumble only now.

_This is not justice!_ she thinks with some small measure of defiance. _A world in which boys are killed for killing others..it's disgusting and wrong and I will not fight for it! They're so young! Don't they have another chance? Don't they deserve to be __**given**__ another chance?_

_No,_ the voice responds patiently. _Because they are criminals, and criminals are evil. Evil is the eternal enemy of justice, and Kira; and we are fighting __**for **__justice and Kira. Softness cannot be allowed if you are to complete your duty-have you forgotten why you began using the notebook in the first place?_

No, she has not forgotten; how can she possibly? But somehow, Kira has seemingly become less and less a part of her crusade. And without a God to serve, what can she and her cause mean? Is it even her cause, or Kira's? And whose method is she using to carry it out?

Is she the killer, the Passer of Judgment, or is Kira?

Whose orders is she following, anyway?

_Kira's, of course,_ the mock-patient voice is quick to answer. But another voice, the tenacious one that simply refuses to be crushed, squeaks, _Your own. Kira made you do nothing, you came to the conclusion that he was 'giving you orders' on your own. _

_You are following nothing. You are reaching for something that cannot exist, and you are serving someone that you may or may not even believe in. Don't you see?_

Does she? Does she not? Or does she refuse to?

The spell she has cast on herself can therefore only be broken by herself. She can choose, to believe or not to. To break free or enjoy her self-imposed destiny. Her shining, golden duty that continues to break her.

_..Ridiculous_, she tells herself quietly. _Kira is God; I half-expect to be struck down for even thinking otherwise. Of course I am serving Him. Of course I am. I am bringing justice and light to a world that will never truly know it otherwise._

_Yes,_ the first voice encourages. _That's it. You have been tested much, but you have prevailed. You have been strong. __**Stay**__ strong. Fight for a world with no more sorrow. Fight for children who will live without pain._

_..Yes_, she finally relents. _Kira is God. I am His servant. And I will make him Justice once again. _

_So that the world will live…some must die._

She writes the two names in the notebook in her neatest, smallest handwriting. Then she closes the notebook and smiles in mirthless wistfulness as she leans back in her chair.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Late June 29th, xxxx.

Twin brothers Gerard and Goel Ackerman (17, 17), on the run from authorities after being accused of murder, die fifty miles from their home.

Causes of death: both heart attacks.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Excerpt from a news broadcast in Chicago, Illinois, at 11:55 PM on June 29th, xxxx:

"…_the two boys in question, Gerard and Goel Ackerman, crashed their car into a tree after swerving wildly off the road, says an eyewitness. Goel, who was driving, evidently lost control of the car after possibly collapsing at the wheel. Unusual discoloration in both boys' skin tones seems to point towards death by cardiac arrest, and although no paramedics have yet arrived on the scene to confirm this, several witnesses are insisting that this is another Kira killing. This is Jessica Corrin, reporting live from Chicago, Illinois. John?"_

"_Thanks, Jessica. Well, the 17-year-old apparent Kira victims had good reason to run, having been accused of murder in their hometown not long ago. Tragically, startling new evidence has come to light that the Ackerman boys may not have been involved with Kathy Terrays' death at all. Police have not commented on this turn of events so far."_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

To: antikira

From: ABF2010

Date: June 29th xxxx

Subject: Rally

_I'll see you there, Anata-san._

_Regards,_

_M._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

To: antikira

From: ChessAlice

Date: June 29th xxxx

Subject: Warning

_Hey Anata-kun,_

_This is just an FYI, since the rally's tomorrow. I overheard some of the older guys from school talking earlier today; they mentioned the rally and sounded like they might cause some trouble._

_Don't want to worry you over nothing, but I thought you might like to know. ^_^_

_I'll see you tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a great rally!! _

_~Karin_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Well, there's no going back now._

Anata's grin takes over his face. The rally commences tomorrow, Karin is coming (which in itself is reason enough for him to continue), and even Michael has decided to abandon his solitary efforts and join the living for a change.

He turns off his computer and climbs into bed. He's going to need all the rest he can get for tomorrow.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXXI of the Church of Kira:**

**Kira knows what is best for us; do not doubt Him. **

**He will save us from ourselves.**

**Do not be afraid, for Kira is watching you always.-**

**A/N: -hides behind L plushie- I'm gonna run out of plushies to hide behind. Please don't kill me; I know this took forever!! –sweatdrop-**

**I have a question: which OC is your favorite in this story; Lina, Michael, Anata or Karin?**

**Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed!! -SS**


	32. Chapter 31: Find Your Balance : resolve

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Just my OCs.

**A/N: Thanks very much to ShinigamiKittens and Emo Naom for reviewing!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 31: Find Your Balance : resolve**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 30th, xxxx.

Mataru Jinii, 20, expert hacker and serial bomber, dies in his basement.

Cause of death: heart attack.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"I don't like this, L."

"_It doesn't matter. This case does not interest me, and although I do not have unlimited authority over those of you in the NPA, I would appreciate it if you stayed out of this as well, Aizawa-san."_

"People are dying! Why isn't that important enough for you?!"

"_Because this is not the Kira that we fought. The solving of the case is not nearly so difficult. Nobody is dealing with a genius this time, therefore it is not necessary for L to step in."_

"…"

"_The new generation has to stop being so dependent on L. They can't pin their hopes on L rescuing them every time. Sometimes, people have to take matters into their own hands. If they only rely on one man to solve everything…"_

"…I see your point, even if I don't like it. All right, we'll stay on the sidelines for now, but if this goes much farther I'm going to intervene no matter what your reasoning is."

"_Fair enough. Thank you for your cooperation."_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata arrives at the park early. He takes a fat roll of gleaming duct tape out of his pocket and rips off a long piece. It makes a satisfying sound as it rips. He uses it to make a silver line in the (slightly wet, but no matter) grass. _Anti-Kiras on the right side_, he decides, _and Pro-Kiras on the left._

He touches the pocket of his jeans, where the cell phone he, ahem, _borrowed_ from his mother resides. _But I won't need to use it_, he reassures himself. _It's just a precautionary measure. _

"Anata-kun! Hey!"

He turns, fighting down a stupidly large grin, and waves to the bespectacled, dark-haired girl who has just hurried to his side. "Hey, Karin. Glad you came."

She beams. "Wouldn't miss it! Here, I brought a podium sort of thing..my dad said he didn't really need it." She places the crate on the ground at the head of Anata's duct tape line.

Between the tape, and the two of them standing there otherwise alone, and the isolated park.. _It looks like a crime scene_, he thinks with bemusement.

He can't help what happens next. His mind takes those words, _crime scene_, and fills in the blanks to create a hellish image: bodies on the ground, blood spilling everywhere, and then nothing-nothing but an empty outline of white chalk.

He swallows hard.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Hello, Anata-san."

Michael registers the look of surprise on the older boy's face, like he wasn't expecting Michael to actually show up. Michael doesn't blame him. He _himself_ is surprised that he actually showed up.

At least the sun isn't shining. Michael isn't a huge fan of the sun. It's a perfectly nice, gray, dreary day. Maybe he'll get lucky and it will rain, and Anata will be forced to end the proceedings…But no, he knows that that is foolishly wishful thinking. _Besides_, he adds silently, _knowing Anata, he'd probably hold this rally even if a blizzard was occurring.._

"So you're ABF2010?" Michael blinks and returns to the real world. The girl is talking at him. "I'm sorry…?" he apologizes, leaving an empty space where her name should be. She takes the hint. "Karin Asiki; it's nice to meet you. I asked if you're ABF2010."

"…Yes, I suppose I am."

She says nothing, possibly waiting for something else. When the pale boy offers no further information, volunteers no name, she continues somewhat awkwardly. "So, um..well, this is where we're going to have it."

"I gathered," is the dry reply. Anata gives his more-or-less ally a warning look. _Leave her alone._

Michael inwardly sighs. "My name is Michael Karson." It's a lie that has been used so often, he barely has any reaction to its untruth anymore. Still, he's made a habit of not giving his 'name' out unless necessary. He bites back a tone of reluctance. "It's nice to meet you."

Looking considerably relieved, Karin nods. "So," Michael continues, "are we just..going to wait, then?"

"Looks like," Anata replies with something resembling confidence. "People are gonna start showing any minute now."

_That's exactly what I am afraid of_, Michael notes unhappily.

Time passes while the anti-Kira trio waits in silence, fidgeting and not even attempting conversation, as they know it will merely wither and die.

And Anata's prediction begins to prove correct. Twenty minutes after Michael's arrival, a fourth person joins them in the grey park.

This time, it's Michael's turn to be shocked.

He certainly did _not_ expect this.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Lina knows they're staring at her. She could feel it even if she couldn't see it. They're surprised. She doesn't blame them.

She tugs nervously at a strand of red hair. _Stay calm. You're here to observe and gather information: enemies and allies. Just see what happens._

"Lina-san?!" Michael sounds disbelieving. _Believe it_, she mentally responds. Even her silent tone is dry.

"Lina-kun!" Karin's voice, a mix of apprehension and delight.

Anata says nothing, he simply stares at her. That stare has great potential to become a scathing glare, if she makes a bad move. _I'll have to be extra careful.._

She reaches the small group and bows, her stomach twisting uncomfortably in the presence of all these enemies and betrayers. "Hello," she manages. A generally unenthusiastic chorus of "Hello"s respond, followed by an extraordinarily awkward silence.

"So..er…what is the line for?" Lina asks, attempting to shatter the quiet's suffocating hold.

It is Anata who answers. "To divide the Pro- and Anti-Kira people. Maybe we should get on the right sides now, so others will get the idea? Get on the left if you're Pro, or the right if you're Anti." He steps purposefully to the right of the line, leaving no room for argument.

Clearly he intends to punish her for her belief and abrupt arrival, by showing her plainly that she can expect no allies among them. Her insides quake violently as she walks to the left side of the line.

Michael and Karin follow Anata's suit, Karin looking slightly apologetic for leaving Lina on her own.

"So," Lina says, fighting to keep her voice level. "How many people are you expecting to turn up, Kuroyami-san?" "Dunno," he replies coolly. "Haven't thought about it. I publicized this pretty well, though, so there should be plenty of new allies showing up."

She nods politely, though angry that he is baiting her. _Not everyone is as closed-minded and fearful as you are, Anata_, she snarls in her mind. Oh, how _satisfying_ it would be to spit those words at his face, make it clear that she will not just lie down and listen to his blatant insults… _No, no, I have to stay inconspicuous._

Michael's eyes drift from Anata to Lina, never meeting the latter's eyes._ Afraid to even look at me now, hm, Michael?_ She goes off on another mental tangent, unable to stop herself. _You pretend to be my friend and then betray me, going against Kira and His justice. __**My**__ justice! And how dare you be so cowardly-not even able to look me in the eye and accept that we are enemies now! How __**dare**__ you?!!_

"Yo!"

A clear, drawling voice cuts through the extremely loud silence. Lina turns and sees a group of older students from her school.

The boy at the head of the group, his hair spiked with liberal amounts of gel and dyed a violent shade of yellow, waves coolly to those already gathered. The slightly taller boy at his right snickers-quietly, but still loud enough to carry-possibly unimpressed with the scarce turnout to Anata's "well-publicized" rally.

There are two other members of the yellow-haired boy's gang-a gangly Goth girl and a boy with a ponytail that he somehow makes look threatening-bringing the number of debaters up to eight. The new arrivals swagger up to the younger group.

"What's up?" the yellow-haired boy says, making it sound like anything but a question. "This it?"

Anata is visibly trying not to feel small and young next to the older gang. "Not sure. People were supposed to start coming at three."

"It's three-twenty." This time it's the Goth girl who speaks. She sounds calmly sure of herself, and nobody questions the information.

"We'll just wait a little longer, then," Anata says, but it comes out sounding more like a suggestion than a statement. The yellow-haired boy notices this. He smirks and nods to the blue-eyed boy's mock-worthy authority.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXXII of the Church of Kira:**

**Follow your instincts and your heart, **

**for it was Kira who put both in place, and will guide you through them.**

**Trust in your belief. It will carry you.-**

**A/N: Well, I'm getting better at updating. –sarcasm- **

**At least it was only a week this time…Feel free to throw things at me.**

**We're entering the home stretch of the story, I think..**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter. ^^ -SS**


	33. Chapter 32: Open Tournament

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs!!

**A/N: Thank you ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!! Also, **_**domo arigato**_** Emo Naom for your awesome, made-me-do-a-happy-dance review!! :D**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 32: Open Tournament**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Waiting is boring."

Once again, the Goth teenager's words sound more a statement than an opinion, and are therefore more difficult to oppose.

"We've been standing here doing nothing for almost ten minutes now," she continues in a bored tone. "Quit stalling and start whatever the hell you were planning to start, kid."

Anata's offended noises are cut off by the voice of the ponytailed boy. "I'm with Yumi," he says emotionlessly. "This is a waste of time."

The yellow-haired boy gestures to his friends. "They've spoken," he says, still wearing that infuriating grin. "Get on with it, Shorty."

Lina would laugh (it's clear that Anata does _not_ appreciate being called 'shorty') if these older students didn't make her feel so nervous. Karin, too, has been eyeing them with something close to fear on her face, as if she fully expects them to be hiding bombs or guns.

"Right," Anata growls, glaring at almost everyone. "Uh, you guys-divvy up. Stand with _her_ if you support Kira-"his tone makes it crystal clear that he thinks poorly of anyone who chooses that option- "or with us if you're against him. Go ahead and pick a side."

The gang makes no move to follow Anata's instructions.

"Go ahead," the younger boy repeats slowly, struggling for control.

"We don't want to," the yellow-haired boy informs him calmly. "None of us really feel the need to tell you which side we're on."

…_Then why did you come here?_ Lina wonders in confusion. _The whole point was to argue your views…_

"You said it, Okami," mutters the tall boy.

"..That's-" Anata cuts himself off. He's greatly tempted to chew these numbskulls out for coming with no intention to play by the rules. But on the other hand, his words obviously carry no weight to them. If he pushes, a fight might break out, and while he couldn't care less about a few more bruises, he would prefer to avoid getting the others mixed up in such a mess. Even the Hikari girl.

Besides which, he's still unsure what the gang's intentions are. They went to the trouble of coming to some remote, all but abandoned park in a nowhere area and a terrible neighborhood, so they must have known what the point of the meeting was. But here they were, blatantly refusing to pick a side, even though that was the point of the whole thing. It makes him more than a little nervous.

The icing on the cake (the gray, stale cake, he notes) is the recollection of Karin's warning message the day before the rally, when she informed him that some of Ohnii High's older students had been discussing the rally in less-than-pleasant conversation.

He decides that, for the moment, it would be best to avoid trouble.

"Whatever. Well, since it doesn't look like anyone else is going to show, we might as well get started," he mutters.

"Finally," growls Yumi. She folds her arms over her chest.

"Uh, yeah. So, who-um, who wants to go first?" Anata silently curses himself for being unable to sound more put-together.

Karin, predictably, raises her hand with enthusiasm. Anata nods, trying valiantly to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. The older teens watch Karin approach the podium with quietly vicious eyes. _Like predators watching their prey_, he observes with as-of-yet unwarranted nervousness.

"I'm Karin Asiki," she says firmly, and Anata winces. He can't help it. For whatever reason, he doesn't want _them_ knowing her name.

"I'm Anti-Kira," she continues in an unusually solemn tone. "Personally, I believe that Kira is…well, human."

(If anyone had chosen that moment to look, they would have been made aware that Lina's face had gone ghost-pale.)

The tallest boy's eyebrows disappear under long and greasy bangs. "Where'd you come up with _that_ theory?" he inquires, sounding vaguely interested.

"Because Kira's judgment is flawed," Karin responds with a trace of fierceness. "He or she makes mistakes, and those mistakes might've been made as a result of strong emotion. In other words, his or her judgment is tainted by humanity."

"Hold up," the ponytailed boy speaks up quietly. "What are you basing this 'flawed judgment' statement on? When did Kira make a 'mistake', as you put it?"

"Anthony Marcus," Karin replies in a tone of triumph. She pulls a sheet of paper excitedly from her pocket and un-crumples it. "June 27th this year. His wife died the same day, of a heart attack. I did some research on Andrea May-the wife, that is-and it turns out she was a thief way back when. But the important bit is this: she and her husband were both vehement haters of Kira."

"So what?" snaps Yumi. "This Andrea chick got what she had coming for criminal acts, and the guy was killed for opposing Kira. There it is, cut and dried."

"Except that Anthony didn't die of a heart attack!" Karin yells, her excitement getting the better of her. She breathes deeply and continues. "Andrea died of a heart attack, yeah, which makes her a likely Kira victim. But Anthony died in a car accident."

"Then why the hell are you telling us this Anthony guy was killed by Kira?!" Okami exclaims. "Kira uses heart attacks; any idiot could tell you that. Anthony got stupid and crashed his car; end of story."

"No, no, no." Karin shakes her head. "I think that Anthony _was_ a Kira victim. But not in the typical way. Here, let me put it like this-Kira killed Andrea using a heart attack because that killing was 'acceptable', since Andrea used to be a thief and all that. But then Kira went after Anthony, but used a different method of murder, because Kira wanted to cover his or her tracks! Kira knew that Anthony didn't deserve to die, so he or she tried to make sure that nobody would guess he was a Kira victim!"

"Wait a second! Let's pretend for conversation's sake that we believe this wacked-out theory of yours," Yumi breaks in. "That would mean that Kira can kill people in other methods-not just heart attacks! That's crazy!"

"You're kidding, right?" Michael's quiet voice overlaps Yumi's shrill one. "You're willing to believe that Kira is a god who kills criminals, but you can't accept that he might use different methods? That's rather sad." He's impressed with Karin's analysis-she's figured out Kira's humanity and the differing methods of death, without even knowing about the Death Note!

"Don't you call _me_ sad, you twisted little freak," Yumi spits venomously. "If that's your thought process, then how do we know that every criminal's death since _forever_ hasn't been Kira's doing?"

"First off," Michael begins dryly, "we know that because we have a vague idea of Kira's mental profile, so to speak. Kira likes to get credit. Kira _wants_ the world to know about his or her power. If he doesn't make it painfully obvious that it's he who kills off criminals, then he won't be considered a god anymore."

He looks the Goth girl in the eye. "Second, we _know_ that every criminal's death since the start of recorded history has _not_ been Kira. The reasoning is simple: that would imply that Kira has been around forever, and she or he has most certainly not. Kira is not a god, regardless of what certain individuals might think."

Yumi starts to move toward him at that, fury written clearly on her face. But the ponytailed boy grabs her arm and steers her backwards. "Let it go," he murmurs.

Michael's gaze flicks to Lina, and he wishes he had looked at someone, _anyone_ else. There is hurt in her eyes; poorly hidden, and very fresh. _Of course_, he thinks bitterly. _I basically just denounced her entire religion, everything she believes. I'm so __**stupid**__._

"…Well," Karin speaks up timidly, "um, I sort of lost my train of thought…anybody else want to take a turn?"

"Yeah." The abrupt volunteer is Yumi.

_This can only lead to trouble_, Anata thinks, fighting down the overwhelming urge to panic.

Karin scrambles out of the older girl's way, scurrying to join Michael and Anata on the (mercifully _safe_) sidelines. Yumi takes the podium with a smirk that almost guarantees trouble. _Not good, __**not **__good!_ Anata opens his mouth to protest in some way, but Michael notices and swiftly elbows him in the stomach. Nobody else appears to notice.

"I'm Atashii Yumi," she announces herself. "I don't feel like telling you whether I'm an Anti or a Pro-" "Which doesn't matter since we can gather that from whatever she ends up saying," Michael grumbles- "so that's that."

"What a fountain of information," Anata mutters sarcastically, still rubbing a sore stomach.

"Yo, Yumi," the tall boy calls, sounding bored. "This is a debate, for cryin' out loud..so, debate!"

"Shut it, Shiro," she growls. "Soo..I'll make this short and sweet. Kira is a god, maybe even _the_ God. I mean, duh, who else could kill criminals using heart attacks? If they were dying from, like, getting shot or something it might be different. But heart attacks aren't something you can fake having control of." On that abrupt note, she stalks away from the makeshift podium.

As much as Anata hates to let anything this girl says get to him, he can't help but mull over her point. How does Kira do it? Heart attacks can't be faked or planned, so how can Kira have such extensive control over them? It's almost enough to make one believe that Kira _is_ a god, murderous or not.

But Anata's stubbornness kicks in and blockades his mind, sealing it against any further threat of 'Kira-is-a-god' thoughts. _Regardless of who the creep is_, he thinks, _he's a murderer, and I wouldn't change that opinion even if he __**was**__ god._

"Kira _is_ God," a soft voice says. "I agree on that point, Atashii-san. But it's not just His..His method of judgment." Anata glares as Lina finally speaks up. "It's the judgment itself. Kira knows what is best for the world, and acts accordingly. Police and governments and others all work for the general good and safety, but they can't possibly hope to succeed every time. Ultimately, crime continues because humans are the only ones who can stop other humans."

She glances around at impassive faces and gulps audibly. "But Kira-sama is God, a higher power than any human, and without our flawed judgment. He knows what will help us in the long run, and he has the power to carry out His divine plans."

The words are strong-well, they _ought_ to be strong. Lina knows that something about them is wrong, though. With a start, she realizes that it is _emotion_. Her mini-speech was basically copied word-for-word from the Rules of the Church of Kira, and she delivered it without passion or fire. She gave no religious fervor, or any fervor at all, really.

She spoke the words. But she didn't give the impression that she _believed_ them.

"What are you, a walking textbook?" Yumi snorts. "God. You make Kira sound like our frickin' babysitter. And don't you _dare_ tell me she has a point, Dom," she adds warningly, as the ponytailed boy opens his mouth. He swiftly shuts it again.

"But most Kira-worshippers _do_ basically consider Kira their babysitter!" Anata snaps, having finally found an opening. "People screw up, people go bad-" he remembers his father; that man who did go very, very bad- "and that's generally their choice. The ones that other people don't stop, Kira eliminates. So the way you see it, Kira cleans up our mess."

He shakes his head irritably. "But we don't need him to treat the rest of us like kids!" His voice rises. "In fact, we don't need him at all! Nobody ever asked him to come in and say 'Screw what you think; I'm going to do what _I_ think is best'!"

"Because people are too proud," Okami puts in. "We don't like asking for help, so duh we weren't gonna ask him to save us."

"That doesn't matter at all," Anata responds shortly. "Because Kira isn't God. He's human, just like the rest of us. He screws up, just like the rest of us. He's a killer, just like the people he supposedly 'passes judgment' on! He's just as bad as anyone else! Where the hell does he get off deciding stuff like life and death for us?!"

"You're _wrong_!" Yumi's voice is practically a screech. "Your whole argument leans on the perception that Kira is human, and that theory is _wrong_! He's a god, and that's 'where he gets off' passing judgment-He knows better!"

"_Your_ whole argument falls apart if you get confronted with reality!" Anata shouts, his volume matching hers. "Kira is not God, or _a_ god, or anything! He's a screwed-up, messed-up, murdering, _human_ lowlife! He's no different from the people he kills, except that _those_ people were straightforward about being criminals!"

"But that's the thing, isn't it?"

Anata turns furiously to the red-haired girl who _just can't stay out of his way_. She almost appears to shrivel under his gaze, but continues. "The people Kira kills are murderers and criminals. As long as there is crime of any kind in the world, there will be pain and misery and death. Is it truly a crime to execute those who kill others? A life for a life; is that not an accepted policy?"

"No," Anata snaps. "It isn't right."

Lina stares at him hard. "But it is part of the law," she points out coolly. "If a murderer is caught and convicted, they are often sentenced to death. That penalty is considered necessary law enforcement. So why does it make Kira evil when He follows this same, widespread policy?"

There is silence for a short while.

"To me.." The ponytailed boy-Dom-has at last managed to get a word in edgewise. "To me it seems like this whole debate hinges on whether Kira is human. Nobody knows for sure-the thing is, people believe or they don't, and it's hard to change their mind." He sends glances toward Yumi and Anata, who are both still red-faced and angry-looking. "It's just one of those unanswerable questions, I guess. There's no point in arguing about it."

Yumi's scowl deepens exponentially. "You're telling me," she says in a dangerous tone, "that I have to lie down and listen to people telling me, every single day of my whole freaking life, that I am loyal to and worship a murderer? Or a demon, or a devil, or a-a lowlife, or any one of the more _creative_ terms they use?"

Dom attempts to deny the accusation and fails miserably. The Goth girl steamrolls right over him. "He kills people who _deserve_ to die!" she spits. "And yet ninety-nine percent of the world calls him evil!" She directs her fiery glare toward Anata. "When He's completed His work and made a perfect world, will you change your tune then? Or are you too pig-headed and stubborn to accept even that?!"

"I wouldn't change my tune." Anata's voice is indifferent on the surface, but fire simmers beneath. "I wouldn't be living in Kira's 'perfect world'. I would be dead. I would be gone."

He steps closer to Yumi and gets in her face. "Because I would rather off myself in the slowest and most painful way imaginable then live in a world created by a dirty, killing ba-"

He gets no further. Yumi screeches, all her tattered patience gone, and slaps his face with every ounce of the considerable, anger-strengthened force she can muster. Anata stumbles back, a violently red mark screaming from his cheek.

Karin yells something unintelligible; Dom leaps up and tries to grab Yumi before she can strike again, but she elbows his gut and pounces on Anata. A stream of swear words, both real and newly invented, pour from her mouth like a river of obscenity as she pounds every bit of the boy she can reach. Anata's feet lash out blindly in a desperate attempt to dislodge the older girl, but he accidentally hits Michael, who was coming forward to help, instead.

Pandemonium reigns supreme. Fists and feet are flying; bruises and scrapes are quickly being collected. Okami is on his back, howling like a wolf with laughter, as if he's never witnessed anything so funny in his life. Dom is still trying to drag Yumi off of her victim, but she shows him just as much viciousness as she shows Anata. Michael has Anata's hands and is attempting to pull him out from under his attacker, but so far failing. Lina is in shock, feeling useless as she sits by but unable to engage herself.

Karin forces herself to move, temporarily shoving away her initial panic. She grabs Yumi's arms firmly. The older teen whips around furiously, freeing one of her arms, and swipes at Karin's face with a forceful, vicious fist. Karin falls backwards.

The tall boy, Shiro, sees an opening and leaps, tackling his friend before she can resume her game of Pummel-The-Defenseless-Boy. He thankfully succeeds in dragging the girl off of Anata and pinning her arms behind her back. She writhes and squirms and continues to shriek at Anata. "Go to hell! Go to _hell_, you little-mmph!" Dom stands and puts a hand over her mouth.

Michael tentatively touches Anata's arm. The black-haired boy is curled up on the grass, covered in bruises to the point where his skin tone is questionable. There are scratches-some deep-on his face from where Yumi's nails broke skin. He wears a pained grimace on his face.

"Don't touch me," he grumbles. Michael obeys and removes his hand.

"K-Karin-san…? Oh, my God-cell phone! Does anyone have a cell phone?!" Lina's voice. And it has gone from small and quivering to loud and panicked in two seconds flat. "Call 911! Somebody get help!"

Anata bolts upright, trying to ignore the pain that shoots through his battered body as a result of the action. Michael's eyes widen as he sees what Lina is screaming about, and fumbles frantically for the cell phone he brought, just in case.

It takes him three tries to dial the right number.

Anata hurries over to where Lina stands and stops dead in his tracks.

_When Yumi hit her…!_

Karin is lying flat on her back, arms spread slightly like those of a broken bird. Her glasses are skewed. There is blood on the sharp corner of the wooden crate that they were using as a podium, next to which her head rests.

Blood is streaming out from under her head, drying on the dead grass.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXXIII of the Church of Kira:**

**Those who deserve to die will be struck down by Kira,**

**so that those who do not deserve death **

**are not forced to die.-**

**A/N: Whew! Managed to crank out another one. And this is the longest chapter yet, so I'm happy about that. ^^**

**I hope you enjoyed. I also hope you don't feel obligated to review..even though I would be a very happy author if you would. -SS**


	34. Chapter 33: Relief and Revelation

Disclaimer: I own Death Note in my own little world. As this fact fails to impress anyone, let's just make this easy and say that I don't own it at all. –sigh-

**A/N: Thanks very much to ShinigamiKittens and Emo Naom for reviewing!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 33: Relief and Revelation**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Chaos.

"Holy-!" Okami swears loudly. "Is she dead?! What the hell!" He continues to panic, his too-cool-for-school attitude completely gone. Yumi keeps hissing and screaming at Anata, at Michael, at everybody, paying no attention whatsoever to the bleeding girl by her feet. Michael, having called 911, is babbling into his cell phone, trying to sound calm when he is anything but.

Lina is shaking Karin fiercely, silently begging her to wake up. Shiro and Dom have their work cut out for them trying to restrain Yumi, and are saving the problem with Karin to panic over later.

Anata is frozen, despite his screaming brain's best efforts to wake him from his horrified waking stupor.

_Karin_, he mouths numbly, unable to summon the energy for even a question mark. _Karin. Why isn't she moving._

_Why isn't she waking up._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Sirens.

The ambulance draws near and Okami's gang scatters; only Dom pauses in his escape long enough to apologize to Anata.

Lina lifts Karin's head up, puts her own jacket on the ground, and lays her friend's head back on it. Michael paces restlessly, willing the medics to move faster; Anata stands frozen and silent.

The next few minutes seem to pass abnormally fast. Medics arrive on the scene, load Karin into the ambulance, and take off with sirens blaring and red lights screaming. One woman stays behind to question the remaining highschoolers.

"I'm Hayasama Katsuki," she introduces herself, keeping a calm tone and expression. "What are your names?"

Silence comes from Anata and Michael. Lina speaks up in a nervous voice. "Lina Hikari. Michael Karson, and Kuroyami Anata."

"Right." Katsuki encourages them with a smile. "Would you guys mind telling me what happened here? And what's your friend's name? We need to call her parents."

"Karin." Anata finally speaks, and his voice is raw and cracked, like he's holding back tears. "Her name's Karin Asiki."

"All right. Hang on a second, okay?" Katsuki turns her back to them and dials a number on her cell phone. She tells the others at the hospital Karin's name, while behind her, three teens are given brief time to get control over themselves.

Lina draws in several slow, shuddering breaths, blinking rapidly. Anata tips his head back and closes his eyes tightly, wiping ferociously at the tears that appear. Michael stares at the ground and tries to pretend he doesn't notice.

"Okay." Katsuki hangs up and turns her attention back to her young charges. "So, how did Karin-chan get hurt like that?"

"She got pushed," Anata gets out angrily. "That little b-that chick, Yumi, shoved her and she hit her head. On the crate."

"Yumi?" A crease appears between Katsuki's thin eyebrows. "So this was intentional?"

"No!" Lina says quickly. "Yumi-san was-well.." She falters.

"Yumi was beating the crap out of Anata-kun," Michael finishes for her. "Karin tried to stop her, and got shoved out of the way. It was an accident."

"Ah." Katsuki takes in Anata's battered appearance. "…Ah. Do you need ice, Kuroyami-kun?"

Anata shakes his head, glaring.

"Right." She sighs. "This 'Yumi'. Where is she?"

"Who knows?" Anata mutters dully. "They all scattered like baby spiders when they heard the sirens."

"All?"

"There were three other people in the gang," Michael informs her. "An Okami, a Shiro, and a Dom."

"Gang?"

The _snap_ of Anata's temper finally shattering is almost audible. He swears furiously and rounds on Katsuki. "Dammit, woman, quit repeating the things we tell you and say something useful! Tell us which hospital Karin's at!"

Katsuki's eyes widen slightly, but she keeps her composure. "I-" She's about to give him a well-prepared lecture about how swearing at people is no way to get them to help you. But she gets another look at the little group and stops.

_They're obviously in shock_, she observes. _And scared out of their minds with worry for their friend._

_Well..they can always be lectured another day, I suppose._

"…Your friend Karin has been taken to Takami Hospital nearby. I'll drive you."

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Less than twenty minutes later, Lina, Michael and Anata are sitting in a moderately crowded waiting room, silently memorizing tile patterns on the floor. Every few minutes-or maybe every thirty seconds-one of them goes up to the lady at the desk and asks if they can see Karin yet. The answer has thus far been "No", every time.

"All my fault," Anata mutters. "My rally. My fault." He stands up and smashes his head into the pristine wall.

Michael sighs. "You couldn't have stopped her, Anata-kun. You were being beaten half to death at the time, in case you've forgotten. As for the rally, she _chose_ to help you. You couldn't have stopped her from coming if you wanted to."

"He's right, Kuroyami-san," Lina agrees quietly.

Before Anata has a chance to agree or disagree with this assessment, one of the nurses approaches them, her expression unreadable. "You three were the ones who wanted to see Karin Asiki, right?"

They nod.

"Well, the doctor says it's alright if you come in. He's just given her parents his opinion, and I'm sure he'd explain her condition to you as well if you want him t-_heeeyy_!"

Her sentence doesn't get finished. The three of them all but run her over in their bid for Room 17.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Head trauma, probably a concussion. But unless complications occur, she should be out of here in about three weeks."

Everyone in the room seems to breathe a collective sigh of relief at the doctor's conclusion.

"Now," he continues, "I think it would be best to clear out for awhile, so we don't wake her up."

The group obeys. More than one of them is barely holding back tears of relief as they file out the door.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata's mother is waiting for him when the teens return to the waiting room. Kuroyami Makami yells at him for about five minutes straight; between the rally, the stolen cell phone, the hospital, and the fact that he didn't inform her of any of it, she appears to have plenty of chewing-out subjects.

She eventually lets her son drag her out the door, yelling all the while.

Linda Karson shows up a few minutes later to pick Michael up. He waves glumly to Lina, who waves halfheartedly back.

Katsuki appears and informs Lina that her father (who owns the Hikari family's sole car) is working late and has his cell turned off. She offers to drive Lina home, but the redhead politely refuses.

She doesn't want to cause any more trouble, and besides which, she wants some time to think in silence.

Lina leaves Takami Hospital with her head wrapped in a thick fog of musings and fears.

The incident with Karin panicked her. When she saw her friend-yes, she has accepted the other girl as a friend, willingly or no-sprawled on the ground with blood pooling underneath her head… She shudders at the memory.

She had thought Karin was dead. She truly did. And that thought struck her with a thunderbolt of horror and fear. Screams welled up inside her and scratched at her throat, but she could not free them because all of her muscles were paralyzed in fear. Lethal, violent terror.

It was the worst she had ever felt in her life.

She now ponders-is this what the family and friends of every Kira victim feels, when the person drops dead of a heart attack?

She figures that must be the case. Except a thousand times worse, because their fears turn out to be justified. Lina doesn't want to think about the extent to which she would have fallen apart if Karin _had_ turned out to be dead.

_Is this the type of suffering I've been inflicting?_

_Is it?_

_How could __**anyone**__ willingly do this to people? Put them through this..this horrible feeling?_

_How could anyone bring themselves to do it?_

_Even…_

_Even God?_

It's a treacherous thought. But she's thinking it.

She is questioning.

Another sort of debate begins.

_I've been doing that. I've been throwing people into this agony for almost a month. Why? Because of Kira? _

_Kira kills. He __**kills**__._

_For a good reason!_

_Is __**any**__ reason good enough? Can willful death truly be justified?_

_Do you believe that?_

_I don't know!_

Her shoulders slump in defeat as she begins to cross the street.

_I just…I just don't know. If you asked me, right now, what I believe, I…_

…_I couldn't tell you._

Everything she has believed her entire life. Everything she has been taught since before she can even remember.

Crashing down around her.

A symphony of shattering glass.

Her faith-in herself?-has been cracking for a while, and now it hovers on the razor-sharp edge of breaking completely.

_What now?_

She's entirely distracted as she slowly crosses the street. She doesn't see-

_What now?_

-the headlights-

_Where.._

-the screamingly loud lights warning her out of the way-

_Where do I go…_

She doesn't feel the impact until after it occurs.

The pain engulfs her for a moment before the blackness does.

Her thought rips through her as her vision fades.

…_from here?_

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXXIV of the Church of Kira:**

**The end of this life is inevitable and inescapable.**

**We all meet the same end.**

**But it is how we leave this world that determines what comes afterward.-**

**A/N: Don't worry, it's not over yet. Sorry about the cliffie. ^.^;**


	35. Chapter 34: Complications : lucky or no

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. You don't sue, I don't sic my flying monkeys on you.

**A/N: Thank you ShinigamiKittens and Emo Naom for reviewing!! Sorry for the wait!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 34: Complications : lucky or no**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

June 30th, xxxx.

15-year-old Lina Hikari is hit by a car. Driver (Katane Aniko, 33) calls 911 and Lina is transported to the nearby Takami Hospital. Parents are called.

Her condition: unstable.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

July 1st, xxxx.

Lina Hikari remains in TH. Medics are working on her constantly.

Condition: unstable.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

July 2nd, xxxx.

Lina Hikari remains in TH. Medics have made substantial progress.

Condition: stabilizing.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

July 3rd, xxxx.

Lina Hikari remains in TH. Under constant medical supervision. Parents staying 24/7. 

Michael Karson, 15 (schoolmate), asks for permission to visit. Permission is denied.

Condition: approaching stable.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

July 4th, xxxx.

Lina Hikari remains in TH. Life in no imminent danger. 

Slight head trauma, broken arm, numerous scrapes and bruises. Lucky.

Condition: seemingly stable, although medical supervision is in place around the clock.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

July 5th, xxxx.

Lina Hikari remains in TH. Parental supervision has gone down somewhat. Medics remain vigilant. No complications so far.

Michael Karson returns with a visit request. Permission granted.

Condition: stable, being watched carefully for signs of complications.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

From a Kira's Kingdom program, broadcast on Sakura TV on July 5th:

"_The next topic of tonight's program: __**Where Is Kira?**__ Lord Kira has killed no new criminals since the start of July. Where has He gone? Are we beyond hope?! Can He do no more to save us from ourselves?! You there, ma'am, what are your thoughts on the subject?..."_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Hello, Lina-san."

Lina tries to sit up at the sound of that voice, but sinks back with a wince when her attempt is rewarded with a bolt of pain.

"Michael-kun," she greets him quietly.

_Michael,_ he thinks wearily. _Michael, Michael, always Michael._ He doesn't know why, but he has grown _so tired_ of the alias.

But never mind that. Lina is alive. The relief is like the lifting of a thousand-pound weight. _First Karin, then Lina..at this rate, we'll use up all of our allotted luck before hitting sixteen._

Luck? Is this really luck…? He stares at his friend in silence, because he knows what he must say. He knows how monumental it is. He still clings to a terribly fragile hope that he will be wrong, completely wrong, that he has miscalculated-something, anything.

_Anything._

He wishes for more time. More time before he has to expand the unspoken rift between them into a canyon.

He has never before wanted _so badly_ to be wrong.

"Lina-san…uh.." He stumbles over his words. _How do I say this? How do I say it?_ He wonders if he can bring himself to do it. He know the answer lies scant seconds in the future.

He can't say it straight up. He decides to slide into his accusation.

"Kira hasn't killed criminals in days," he 'observes' softly. "Five days, in fact. I wonder why he's stopped?"

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Lina freezes. (Well, she wasn't moving anyway, but she feels her _blood_ go cold.)

_Five days…five days..! No! Oh no. _She's been in the hospital longer than she initially thought.

Five days of injury and sleep.

Five days without any new Kira killings.

Any idiot could put two and two together and come up with _'Lina Hikari is Kira'_, and Michael is no idiot. _I..Am I finished?_ she wonders in a daze. _Is the game finally up?_ She tries to ignore the tiny, traitorous spark of relief at the thought that she may no longer have to kill and sneak and hide.

She plays it cool. Ignorant. Knowing it won't work. "He has stopped? I haven't noticed." She cringes at the feebleness of her reply and hopes she can pass it off as a cringe of pain.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_So that's how she's going to play it. She isn't going to make this easy._

_But why? She's up against a wall with little way out, and she must know it. She isn't stupid. _

"That's interesting." He plays desperately for time, hoping she'll confess, hoping he won't have to say what he knows. "Five days…isn't that how long you've been in the hospital, Lina-san?"

_Please…please just confess…please…_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Oh, he knows. He knows. There's no doubt._

She does no tremble. She does not show fear or panic. She struggles and succeeds in meeting and holding his gray gaze. "What a coincidence," she replies softly.

It's much harder to keep looking him in the eye. She feels as if he is staring through them, seeing her soul, seeing her lies.

"I wonder why He would stop for such an extended period?"

He watches her with a visible trace of sadness.

She blinks.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Why won't you just come out and say it?! _

_I know! You __**know**__ I know! Make it easier on both of us!_

_No…wait..easier…._ He sighs. _Easier on me._

_I am a coward. In the highest sense._

_..Well, brilliant. I'm just going to have to say it, aren't I._

He opens his mouth and nothing comes out. He tries again with the same response. Now on top of everything else he looks like a fish.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Why don't you sit down?" she offers quietly, gesturing to an empty spot of the hospital bed. He sits shakily.

_Make it easy,_ some voice encourages her. _Cut him some slack, for once. Tell him the truth. He knows anyway. Don't make him say it. Don't torment him anymore._

_Now_ she shakes. Her mouth opens, almost without her permission-

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

He touches her shoulder. She almost shivers at the cold, quivering touch. Her confessions shrivels and dies in her mouth.

"Lina," he says in a very low voice.

He's dropped the honorific. Her face goes white. She can't say it. _She can't say it-!_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Lina," Michael repeats, looking as if every word costs him something. "I know."

She predicts his next words. But a shock still racks her body when she hears them spoken aloud.

"I know…you're Kira."

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXXV of the Church of Kira:**

**Do not be afraid of **

**anything,**

**For Lord Kira awaits at the path's**

**End.-**


	36. Chapter 35: SYNAW : Nihilism

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note!!

**A/N: Thank you Emo Naom and ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!**

**Man…three serials already going, and a fourth one soon to be posted…CHAOS!!! But I'm giving ANL top priority right now…man, at this rate, I'll be lucky to have no serials going by 2012. -.-;**

**Incidentally, Sorry You're Not A Winner is a terrific song by Enter Shikari. If you're going to listen to it, though, search for the REMIXED version, as the original is..ugh.**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 35: Sorry You're Not a Winner : Nihilism**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Dead and utter silence.

It's unclear how much time goes by before Lina can bring herself to break it.

"M-Michael-kun-I'm…" She stops. _What can I say? What __**is**__ there to say?_

_She doesn't know how to start,_ Michael observes, miserable. Her hesitation, her expression-if he wasn't positive before, he is now.

His best friend-all right, his _only_ friend-is Kira.

One of few people closest to him is his enemy.

_I've solved the case._

He wishes with every fiber of his being that he hadn't.

"Lina..Lina-_san_," he corrects himself, reestablishing the honorific. "You _are_ the new Kira."

He repeats that which is already known because he cannot imagine what else he can say to her. Which is just as well, because Lina is also wordless.

He cannot ask her "Why?" because he knows why. Or at least he thinks he does.

She cannot tell him "Sorry" because she doesn't even know if she is. She followed her beliefs-at high cost-but was she wrong? She doesn't know yet.

A wall of ice, thick and cold, rises between them as the silence stretches on.

This time Michael dissolves it. Deciding it's best to hear an explanation from her own lips, he asks her the simplest question with the most difficult answer: "_Why_?"

Her pale grey eyes meet his, unreadable and deep. "Because.." Something occurs to her and she switches direction. "You..aren't going to ask _how_?"

Michael shakes his head. "I know how you did it. The Death Note, am I right?"

Her jaw hits the floor. "How do you know about the notebook?!"

Faintly amused at how quickly they have switched 'questioner' roles, Michael reaches into the backpack he brought and pulls out a notebook identical to Lina's own. She gasps in shock and horror.

"How…how..?!"

"The Death Note is no tool of god, in case that's what you thought," Michael says. He puts no harshness in his tone; the words themselves are enough implication of harsh disapproval, and they do their job. Pain shoots across Lina's face.

"They are the tools of the Shinigami, the Death Gods, who use them to extend their own lifespan by killing off humans," he continues. "Am I accurate in guessing that the Death Note was what you used to kill those people?"

She stiffens. _Watch it,_ the always-present power-hungry voice warns. _You haven't admitted to anything yet! You still have a chance, albeit a slim one, to get out of this mess! Say nothing! When he leaves, you can eliminate him!_

…_No,_ she replies silently. _There's too many variables. He can't possibly be the only one who's added it up. _

_I'm finished regardless of whether he lives or not._

_And besides…I won't kill him. No…not him._

"Yes, Michael-kun," she admits softly. "It was."

He bows his head, fighting to regain control of his emotions. _That cements it. Lina is Kira._

"And-and why-?" _Shoot_. His voice cracks. He cuts himself off and looks away.

Lina tries to hold back her own tears.

After a pause, when she's more or less sure she can resist sobbing, she speaks again.

"I'm sure you've come to the conclusion that I did it all for my God," she states, not untruthfully. "That I wanted to follow His example and cleanse the world of all crime, without caring who or what stood in my way. You think me ruthless…devoid of a conscience…_inhuman_…" With bitterness, she throws his own assumptions back at him, and he has the grace to look slightly ashamed.

"And you got bits right. I did do it for Kira…_partly_."

She looks him in the eye. Fiercely.

"But it's not just Kira."

He returns her gaze, willing to listen, even as their lives crash down and reassemble around their ears.

"It's not just Kira," she repeats, "but more…what he _stands_ for. It's not the God, it's the morals that God represents. I've always been given a hard time because of my faith, by people who see Kira as a murderer and nothing more. But they miss the point entirely. Kira fights for goodness, purity, peace, justice. We love Him for that. We aren't following some beautiful, empty idol-we're praying for the world that He wishes to create."

She breathes. "Most people worship gods out of faith, pure and simple. It doesn't matter if there is no proof of that god's existence, they believe anyway. They are willing to believe, have the willpower to love something that cannot be seen, and that is a wonderful thing in its own way. But Kira…Kira gives us _reason_ to believe and hope. Concrete evidence that He is willing to do whatever He must to fulfill his promise of a wonderful new world."

"And what of the killing?" Michael demands. "Does murder constitute as justifiable? The means to the ends and whatnot?"

Lina's gaze drops. "That…that is where I failed," she murmurs. "I kept faltering. I was never sure that I could bring myself to kill another person, evil or no. I realized I had to kill more, and did so. Even when it nearly broke me."

Tears glaze over her eyes. "And then I screwed up!" she chokes. "Anthony Marcus didn't deserve to die, and neither did his wife! I was grasping at straws; I knew it was wrong, you just-you made me _so angry_ and miserable and I couldn't think straight-" "_I_ caused you to do that?!" Michael interrupts, feeling pale.

"You betrayed me," she says. "At the very least, that's how I saw it. You denounced Kira-me-as an emotionless killer who feels no pain-when you had no idea, none at all-how _agonizing_ it was! You knew _nothing_ of me, but you still judged-that's what I _hate_ about people!" She's all but screaming now, as the water in her widened eyes threatens to spill over.

"They never take the time to understand-they don't even _try_ to get the point before they make up some stupid judgment, and before you know it, you're stuck with a false reputation that you can never escape. You carry those lies on your back, through no fault of your own, _for the_ _rest of your life_! And when you..you were my _friend_…I thought you accepted me, but then you turned out to be exactly like the rest of them."

Michael sighs quietly. "..I'm sorry, Lina-san. I really am. But just as you are entitled to your own beliefs, I am entitled to mine. And my belief is that Kira is a killer."

She starts to look away, but he isn't finished. "Kira _is_ a killer, but..as for you..the jury's still out."

She winces, and he scrambles. "I mean, you _have_ killed people…but you had a conscience about it. You felt…bad." The words are weak. His attempt at comfort is pathetic, and they are both aware of it.

"..Has anyone else said anything to you about..me?" Lina asks, changing the subject. "I messed up so badly, getting hurt like that…stupid. Very stupid." She sighs heavily. "Anyone who pays attention must have figured it out."

Michael shrugs uncomfortably. "Anata hasn't said anything yet. He seemed somewhat concerned when I told him you'd been hit by a car, but he's been so preoccupied with Karin..visits her every day. My mother thinks it's 'adorable', as she put it." He pulls a face. "Maybe he hasn't-"

The door flies open and smashes into the wall behind it. The boy who has just entered slams it again with venom and considerable force.

"You," Anata snarls, burning holes in Lina's head as he glares at her with hatred. "_Kira_." He spits the word.

"Anata-san," Michael addresses him, startled. "What about Kira?"

"It's _her_," Anata snaps, pointing an accusatory finger at the redheaded girl. "She's Kira. Think about it, numbskull-she's been in the hospital for _five days_. Kira hasn't killed anyone for _five days_. Do the math-you're good at that." He folds his arms in livid satisfaction.

"…Anata-san," Michael says calmly. "That is…entirely coincidental."

Lina tries to keep her face blank.

"How exactly do you think Lina could kill so many people with heart attacks?" Michael inquires. "She's in school almost every day; anyone could vouch for that. The perpetrator is obviously a medical specialist of some kind-someone who knows what causes heart attacks and uses the information to their advantage."

Anata gapes briefly, but his rage does not deflate. "If _that's_ what you think, then why didn't you say something?!" he yelps.

Michael shrugs unconcernedly. "I must have neglected to mention it. How is Asiki-san?"

"Oh," Anata flounders, clearly put off by the abrupt change in the conversation. "She's-um, she's fine. No complications so far."

"Don't jinx it," Lina warns quietly. Anata shoots her a glare.

"Goodbye, Anata-san," Michael says mildly. "I'll see you in school tomorrow."

Anata blinks, looks from Lina to Michael and vice versa, nods, and leaves much more quietly than he arrived.

"I'm not sure why you did that, but thank you," Lina says. Michael shakes his head. "Don't thank me. I didn't want him to tear you apart on the spot. Besides, there's something else I want to ask you. Now that it's over…in your opinion, was it worth it?"

Lina thinks it over. "It was nice," she says finally, "to feel like I had some important purpose in my life. To feel like God had given me a duty, and I could help Him change the world. But that's finished now, and without a constant Kira.." She bites her lip. "The world will just go right back to the way it was before. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to change the unchangeable."

"However," she adds, "I do not regret trying to serve Kira."

"_What_?" Michael asks incredulously. "After all this, you still believe Kira is righteous?"

"Yes," she responds simply. "He is..perfect. I'm human, and therefore flawed. I shouldn't have tried to become like Him..it's impossible for a human to ever truly imitate God." A wry smile crosses her face and vanishes. "It's not God who was wrong. It was me."

Michael stares at her openmouthed for a moment. Then he shakes his head and does not reply with anything more than "I'm sorry you feel that way." _There's no point_, he realizes. _She believes that Kira is justice, and I can never change that._

"So..what's going to happen to me now?" She doesn't sound scared. Just tired, and resigned.

Michael swallows hard. "I..I want you to think about everything overnight. Tomorrow I'm going to go to the police and explain everything to whoever'll listen. If I'm lucky, some of the original Task Force members who hunted down the first Kira. You might get off a harsher penalty, since you're a minor." Tears choke him and he stops before his friend can notice.

Lina nods, something like a plan, something like a decision already churning about inside her head. "That's fair," she agrees, with much more coolness than she feels.

They let a few more moments pass in silence before Michael stands and reluctantly informs her that visiting hours are over. The nurse will be here any second to boot him out. Lina nods.

Michael leans down and surprises her with a hug. An extremely awkward one, but still. She returns it. "I am sorry," she whispers, "for putting you and Karin-kun and Anata-san through all of this." He nods and backs off quickly. He turns to leave.

"Goodbye, Michael," she says. He pauses.

"..Karson is my father's last name," he tells her abruptly. "Mother took it to help conceal her own identity. I don't particularly like the name 'Michael Karson', though. If.." He inhales sharply. "If we ever get a second to ourselves again, you can call me Matthew." He turns once more to smile an odd smile at her. "Matthew Jeevas."

And then he's gone, hurrying out of that hospital with the speed of a bat out of hell, out on the sidewalk, glad it's windy because he can use wind as an excuse for the unstopping tears that pour down his face.

_To be continued_

**-Rule XXXVI of the Church of Kira:**

**No matter what,**

**there is always Hope.**

**That is Kira's Gift to us.-**

**A/N: Holy mother of crapbiscuits, the end is near…I'm actually going to finish another serial; ZOMG I can't believe it!**

**Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are glorious. But of course, feel no obligation. -SS**


	37. Chapter 36: Endgame

Disclaimer: I own Lina, Michael, Anata, Karin, and random assorted OCs. That is all.

**A/N: Written while listening to Billy Joel's "Only The Good Die Young," oddly enough.**

**Thanks to Emo Naom and ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!!**

_**A New Light**_

**Chapter 36: Endgame**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata leaves Tatami Hospital, aware that he should be seething.

But he isn't.

He _knows_ Lina is Kira. Who wouldn't realize that?

But he can pretend not to know for now. He realizes that Michael is going through plenty of pain right now, and the Hikari girl must be also.

For now, he can leave them to their thoughts and conflictions. Cut them some brief slack.

_For __**now**__, at least._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It's four in the morning.

Lina slips out of her bed, jarring her injuries, with teeth digging firmly into her lip. She will not make a noise from the pain and ruin this. She will _not_.

She slips out the door the moment she gets a chance, and hurries out into the cold predawn.

Shivering, she runs in the direction of her home. Her bare feet sound strangely loud, slapping against the sidewalk with no other noise to compete with. The world-or at the least the part of it in which she resides-is asleep.

The run home is more than enough time to think about and reconsider what she has resolved to do. But the willpower she found in one month as Kira's proxy holds fast.

She will not change her mind.

There is a spare key hidden under a potted plant that sits nearby the doorway. She retrieves it and slips into the house as quietly as she possibly can, creeping up the stairs, trying hard to ignore the sounds of her parent's breathing or her little brother's snores as the rest of the Hikari family slumbers, blissfully unaware.

She shivers again as she enters her dark room. _How can I do this to them?_ she thinks in horror. _How can I put them through this-them, and Michael-Matthew?-and Karin..if it were anyone else, I'd say this was a selfish thing to do._

She walks over to her desk and paws through the drawer, finally withdrawing a slim black notebook with trembling hands. The Death Note.

_Yes…in any other case, this __**would**__ be selfish and ridiculous._

She opens the book to a blank page. (How many deaths she has carried out in these pages.)

_But…_

She hunts for a pen, and finds her special one with the violet ink. It seems like the perfect choice, somehow.

_..in this case…_

She uncaps it and bends over the notebook of death, her breath coming in a soft shudder.

_..it's only right._

She puts pen to paper, quaking all over. Teardrops fall on the otherwise spotless paper.

_So many have died..it's only right._

She writes.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It takes scarcely a moment, and the deed is done.

She places the cap back on the pen. _That looks right, _she thinks, examining her entry._ Clean and simple._

There is now nothing left to do but wait.

She leans back in her chair, making herself comfortable. She successfully wills her hands to stop shaking, her eyes to stop crying. She looks around the room, taking in everything. Family photos, old birthday gifts. She embeds images of her parents, her brother, and her friends firmly in her mind. She allows precious memories to battle for dominance in her head.

_Thank you all. I'm so sorry…_

She sighs. Time is almost up.

_But hopefully you'll understand._

_This is my justice._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Four-thirty AM.

Lina stands, her mind clear, and leaves her family's house.

She won't return.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Excerpt from the Death Note:

_July 6th, xxxx._

_Lina Hikari, drowning. Leaves the Hikari residence at four-thirty in the morning and drowns in the nearest body of water, making it look like nothing more than an unfortunate accident._

_To be concluded_

**-Rule XXXVII of the Church of Kira:**

**Follow all of His teachings accurately**

**and be with Him in the world**

**that comes After.-**

**A/N: I'm working on the epilogue. It should be out pretty soon.**

**Hopefully you won't hate me for what I've done to Lina. But honestly, I've had this planned for quite a while. She had no out.**

**And please forgive me for making it so short! I couldn't think of anything else relevant to add. -.-; -SS**


	38. Epilogue: Post Mortem : from the ashes

Disclaimer: I own my OCs, and nothing else.

**A/N: The end has arrived.**

_**A New Light**_

**Epilogue: Post Mortem: from the ashes**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Excerpt from a local newspaper dated July 7th, xxxx:

_..Fifteen-year-old Lina Hikari was found drowned in a lake nearby her family's house yesterday morning. Medics say she tripped and hit her head on a protruding rock (see inset, left), passed out, and fell into the lake._

_Lina's parents, Masoi and Yura Hikari, and her younger brother Harushika, are all trying hard to cope with their grief. _

"_We miss her so badly," Yura-san stated tearfully. "We can only hope that she has found peace with Lord Kira in heaven."_

_The funeral is planned for July 10__th__._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Michael stares blankly at the wall in his room.

His computer is off, as it has been for a while now. He's given up on his hacking project. There's no point anymore. And he feels lethargic. Apathetic.

_I did it,_ he thinks bitterly. _I caught the new Kira. I defeated my enemy._

_And now she's dead._

He had something of a feeling, when he left Tatami Hospital that night. His gut told him that he wouldn't see Lina again. So he gave her his name-out of what, compassion?-and chose to trust that she understood the gravity of her situation and would..well, not kill him.

_I should have considered that she'd kill herself_, he thinks. _After all, her view of justice is the elimination of crime. And she is-was-totally loyal to Kira and his ideals. She considered herself a criminal for playing god while 'flawed', and couldn't allow herself to keep living in his name._

Yes, that's what Kira's proxy would do. It's a clean psychological profile for a religious maniac.

But what of Lina Hikari, the plain _person_? The high school girl with a name, face and conscience?

_Guilt,_ he decides. _That's…all there is to it._

He knew the minute he heard. There was no way her death was an accident, as it had been labeled. What would she have been doing out by that lake anyway? Reflecting? No, it had to be a Death Note's work.

He entertained the notion that her Shinigami could be responsible. After all, if he or she wanted to return home, getting rid of Lina would provide them with a golden opportunity.

The jury is still out on that, in all honesty. But something tells him that there has been no godly intervention.

Lina has killed herself.

_And me… _

He sighs.

_Well, I was just incapable of helping her._

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Anata watches Karin's eyes widen in horror, and wishes he hadn't told her.

She closes her eyes firmly to keep tears from overflowing. Her lip trembles. "How?" she whispers in a pained voice.

"Accident," Anata tells her bluntly. "Hit her head and ended up in the water."

"Poor Lina," Karin says softly, covering her face. "How horrible."

He puts a hand on her shoulder.

The sobs start coming from the dark-haired girl, and Anata leaves as quietly as he can. He feels it's no longer his place to stand there.

_I guess it's just me,_ he observes as he heads for home. _I guess I'm the only one around who isn't mourning for Lina Hikari._

He pauses and stares at the sky. _Well…I'm not mourning her __**much**__, anyway. _

He starts walking again. _It's over…_

_So what now?_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

July 10th, xxxx.

Funeral held for Lina Hikari. 

Attendants include classmates Michael Karson, Karin Asiki and Kuroyami Anata.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

August 3rd, xxxx.

Michael Karson gives up ownership of his Death Note.

Kinddara Guivelostain returns to the Shinigami Realm.

Karin Asiki wins regional chess tournament with her boyfriend, Anata, in attendance.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

July 6th, xxxx.

Third anniversary of Lina's death.

Shika Hikari begins attending Ohnii High School.

Michael Karson enters college under his real name. Karin and Anata follow soon after.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_Blackness is everywhere._

_This is not heaven, nor is it hell._

_This is MU. Nothingness. _

_A teenage girl wanders, nervous and confused. Her hair might be red, but it's hard to tell color from color here. There is a gash on her head that once dripped blood, and her face is discolored. She glances around with wary grey eyes._

_Someone touches her shoulder and she jumps, turning to see a young man. His brown eyes are cunning and falsely warm; his expression quietly calculating. Light brown hair, a bloodstained suit, and a strange discoloration to his skin-as if he died of a heart attack._

_The girl once known as Lina wonders briefly if he is one of her victims, but dismisses the thought. She does not recognize his face._

"_I am Light Yagami," he introduces himself. "Or at least, I was." A laugh. It sounds fake and hollow._

"_Would you like me to show you around?" he offers with a slow smile._

_She stares him in the face with distrust._

"_No, thank you," she answers politely. "I'm sure I can manage on my own."_

_And she turns her back on him._

_Turns and begins to move forward._

**-Rule XXXVIII of the Church of Kira:**

**There are such things as second chances.**

**Be not afraid.**

**Rebirth in Grace is always possible.-**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_**Fin**_

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**A/N: And there you have it, folks. A New Light officially over.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you a billion times to the following:**

**Moonshine 369 and ShinigamiKittens for submitting awesome reviews so often, and putting up with me..you guys are what kept this story going, without question. –glomp-**

**Emo Naom – you picked an awesome time to join the party!**

**field-of-tears for reviewing the second the prologue was up, and making me think "Huh..maybe this could actually be a decent story!"**

**Emery Board**

**angelcorrupted (that Mary-Sue limitus test came in handy XD)**

**venom2008, formerly known as kirasuporter1993**

**Megii of Mysteri OusStranger **

**Deadeye 86**

**Drackner Clawrus**

**azaneti**

**Cataquack Warrior**

**Serinata**

**Threehoursofsleep**

**Noxjana**

**DeathFruitsMaximumSecrets – I kept pestering DeathMax-kun with ideas and whatnot..arigato for dealing with it, and helping with writer's block. ^.^**

**I appreciate all of you guy's support, your ConCrit, your correction of my French (XD), everything.. more than I can say. You all rock, and domo arigato for reading. –bows-**

**And of course, I hope you liked it! ;) Over and out-SkywardShadow.**


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